The Deathly Scientist
by Road and Tyki
Summary: Since becoming the Master of Death, Harry gained the power to travel worlds as death is in every world. Aspects of death will not and cannot kill him either. He departed Earth with his money after the wars, he traveled many worlds, learning as many things as he can, until he arrived to the world of Gaia. However, he really does have a saving people thing. FFVII X-OVER Slash
1. Chapter 1

The Idol of the Labs

In Shinra Inc, Science Department...

There, a prodigy named Harry Potter worked. He is famous for being a super-genius that he graduated College at the age of 16, specializing in anything that had the word 'Bio' in it. He was on front page news for quite some time, and the public adored this genius child all over the world. It helps that he's quite...good-looking, and easy to get along with...as long as you do not set him off. His temper also got famous in the science department when Hollander tried recruiting him and was getting inside his personal space too much that he was mistaken for a pedophile and kicked him hard where it smarts most. Many other scientists SWEAR they heard a loud, audible 'crack'! and other men, even Hojo got reflexive and subconsciously placed their hands over their own thing.

Needless to say, Hollander did not report for work until he could pee without pain and blood coming out.

There were rules around this genius.

1. If you are not a friend or lover, do not invade his personal space. His personal space was at his arm's length in 360 degrees if he's out of his lab. However, if he's IN the lab, the whole lab is his personal space and you have to have a really good reason to come inside, unless you're the boss who can freely come and go.

2. He doesn't like it when someone messes with his things.

3. At work, he doesn't like noise. Which is why he does not keep assistants because they seem to want to chat him to death due to his reputation.

4. Touch his Piano Computer, guess who's following Hollander? If it's a woman touching his stuff, he would instead, pour molasses on them. Scarlet learned that the hard way.

5. If you're a pervert, kiss your equipment goodbye. So what if he's gay? That doesn't mean he likes perverts.

6. No woman should go near him showing cleavage or a skirt covering only half their thighs. His idea of modesty is very modest and he doesn't like women showing too much skin. Less is more in his opinion but his 'opinion' works both ways, unfortunately. And regardless of rank, to him, this rule applies to every female approaching him on business.

7. Regarding Turks, unless he did a crime, Rule 1 applies.

8. No stealing of work and data. If you as much as steal his data, he'll hunt you down AND destroy your lab. His colleagues are warned.

9. Never make comments about his height...he WILL end you.

Follow rules 1-9 and he'll be friendly with you.

For Shinra, he invented many things. On his first year in the company, a Virtual Reality game called 'The World', an RPG Game where players and NPCs can freely interact with each other, battle monsters, events and many magical, beautiful places and there are 'many jobs'. However, the game turned out to be a mental training facility designed to train 'players' in their mental strength, willpower, imaginative faculties, determination and perseverance as these traits are what's needed to properly utilize magic from Materia. And with great results from his volunteers-Sephiroth and Senior Turks who played the game. There's a catch however. If you 'die' in the game, you'll suffer one hell of a migraine that needed a week of rest before playing again. If you 'die twice' in the game within the week after you have your 'first death', you'll fall into a coma. **Guaranteed**. This was because the world in the game is so real it's as good as convincing your mind that you died. The migraine part is due to fear of death that your fear is enough to wake you up from the game and it puts great mental stress on players. The game is thus, rated R-15 for military recruits. R-18 for civilians. If a person below the age bracket tried entering the game, the system will force them to log out. This is determined through height and physical appearances by the program.

His game sold like hotcakes nonetheless, however, half the profits went to the company because he is using company resources to make the game. However, he created two versions of the game. A version for civilians and a version for military personnel. Magical training aside, the Events, plots and 'storylines' of the game triggered by talking to some NPCs and walking into an NPC event also trains players in other traits. The game is also so realistic that they actually feel the pain from injuries but in real world, it's as good as 'phantom pain' and weapons really weigh like those in real life. This was because the game makes use of hypnosis as well and 'belief of the mind'. How to tell players and NPCs apart? Players have a red upside-down triangle above them. Harry warned the public of NOT using the game as a 'refuge from reality' as sleep, food, and baths in the game are FAKE.

He then invented DNA Scanners. Technology that allows the company security to determine who's coming into the company from a 50m radius based on their biometric readings. To this end, every Shinra Employee must be 'biometrically read and record' to render IDs obsolete. IDs can be forged anytime anyway. This security was better. Harry however, invented an overriding hack...just incase. This technology is used for military and company security. The partner program is Gene Reader, which rendered Card-Keys obsolete as well. All they needed, are fingerprints, hair and even retina scans. Of course, Harry has a hack...not that anyone knows that. He invented this in his second year.

He also invented Stasis Tanks and a special fluid that keeps people alive by means of constantly pumping life-supporting fluids of Harry's personal concoction. That was what he wrote in his files at least and he did NOT leave a formula. He made it personally. Scientists are personal and posessive of their secrets after all. This was incase Healing Materia and Items weren't available, especially to civilians. What nobody knows is that Harry has a good reason not to disclose such information to the public. A very good reason. Every hospital and modified ambulance is equipped with stasis tanks and hospitals have a tankful each, enough for 100 stasis tanks until replacement deliveries are needed and bought from the company. Following that, a special tank emitting nutrient fluids in the form of thick mist, and nanomachines healing the wound in rapid speeds using the fluid as resources required for regeneration through metabolism. He also has it used for surgery to regenerate lost cells, replacing dead cells that were lost for various reasons.

When the Wutai Wars have gotten...strong by 1993, he created a dropship called Medivac Dropship. However, because it's so expensive to make and deploy due to the technology used to warp-pick the injured as well as nano-machines to speed-up healing, he made one huge medivac instead that can house 50 people and six doctors, heal, drop off the healthy and load the injured. It helps that the Wutainese have no means to fire upwards. It was due to this that Shinra didn't lose much forces and only needs maintenance that's...not-so-pricey. It's mostly used for Infantrymen as only SOLDIER can have Materia. Due to his feats, Harry now supervises medical treatment for the Military due to his technology.

Its no secret that he was a better sight than Hojo. If Hojo is the doctor and you got his attention, it was said that you'd disappear, and it happens! Many patients told him that, and complained about missing friends...which disturbed the young scientist who is the same age as Sephiroth. If only they knew the truth.

But Harry...knew long ago.

He traveled many, many worlds. Each time, he stayed for a millennia per world he traveled to just to see how each world's culture develops. And every century when he 'dies', funeral included, he would become an infant and disappear from his coffin after they put him under and re-appear in a random orphanage in that world...ten times. This was to hide his immortality from people by being 'reborn' each time he 'dies from natural causes'. He also erases every records of the previous Harry Potter so he could exist again as himself. Ten times per planet which is sometimes...tiring and exasperating for a couple months in teenage years. This was because he became the Master of Death. He cannot really die or be killed anymore. And finding his successor who will not abuse this power will take quite a while to be born to his chagrin.

He is so tired of living for so long, all he wanted to do is really rest. But alas, his powerful curse will only end when he finds a proper successor...but is doomed to live 10000 years first. And Gaia...is his seventh planet. Poor him. 3000 more to go until his successor as Master of Death is born. Which is why he is wise and intelligent from years of studying to keep him distracted and entertained. And due to his powers, he no longer cares if he gets physically hurt. He can't die anyway.

So he knows about 500 years' worth of Gaia's history since his arrival to this planet, and knew of the corruption to be started by Shinra Inc out of greed for power and illegal experiments and kidnapping occurring with the boss turning a blind eye to it as long as he could profit from it. It was he who helped Vincent Valentine master his monsters. It was he who cured Lucrecia of her Jenova Virus and put her in a Regeneration Tank controlled by Vincent in hiding because the virus did so much damage to her body that had she been awake, she would be screaming in pain for hours. And it was he who saved Ifalna and little Aerith from Shinra in his child form, and put them in the safety of Vincent's care as well. Last he heard, Vincent and Ifalna married in secret and using false identities once Aerith was old enough to be a flower girl...because Ifalna insisted she wanted her daughter for the role.

It appears that he's recovering from Lucrecia's desperate attempt of betrayal as the woman believed only what she wanted to believe no matter how good a person she is. It's people like this who are irksome to deal with. Case in point, his old home world of Earth and the British Wizards. And it was he who told Vincent that Lucrecia is no longer worth his pain and suffering, and practically told the man to move on and there's plenty of fish in the sea.

Vincent understood, even if he was pissed with him for a year straight, child form or not. Vincent, due to being an Avatar could tell by instinct he was older than what he looks like so he had no qualms yelling at a 'child'. Because...it was easier said than done and Harry had been very, very painfully blunt from millennia of experience in socializing, love and heartbreak, and he's been there done that and Vincent just had his first taste, and first taste always hurts the most. Well, good for him he moved on, the problem would be Lucrecia when she wakes, and how she'll react to the fact that the world moved on without her. He decided to let Vincent handle that new can of worms.

So with him as a doctor in present time, nobody feared disappearances anymore and Harry made sure of that. The Military Clinic required his DNA Scan(which is unique because he's not a native of this world) to open and his DNA Code in the system is protected by powerful firewalls each armed with powerful computer viruses that will be released on the hacker per attempt that did great damage to the poor sod's system. Like severe damages for instance. Of course, nobody would admit to the hacking attempts but Harry can always tell who, if he sees anyone re-formatting their systems.

However, this year 1997...

He met Zack Fair, a young recruit of fourteen who had to be hauled in for muscle pains. The instructor said he was idiot enough to pull an advanced sword maneuver on his premature shoulders, both muscular and skeletal on a spar with zero experience in said move. It doesn't help that Zack really didn't know, he just winged it rather than lose because it's also grade points! Harry laughed out loud in sheer amusement at that.

When they talked, Zack had great dreams to be a hero like Sephiroth which quickly put out the smile on the gorgeous scientist. 'Doc? Whatsamatter?' Zack asked him curiously.

'Zack, I'm sure you have better dreams than being a hero.' Harry snorted as he treated Zack with Nanomachines carefully because if used wrong, Zack's genetic code will be changed and anything can happen. This was why Harry was sole authority of nanotechnology because...even Hojo messed up. 'Heroes become heroes posthumously after performing great good deeds at the expense of their lives. Sephiroth survived said great deeds and lived only because he has the company's massive backing.' he explained. 'Had he been any run-of-the-mill joe, he would have died in the battlefield like any other.' he explained softly.

'So uh why does he have great backing as you put it?' Zack asked him curiously.

'Well, rumors has it that his father is Hojo but of course, who the hell would believe that? Sephiroth's tall, beefy, strapped and gorgeous!' Harry exclaimed as Zack snorted. 'He doesn't resemble Hojo in some way and I have YET to check his DNA and the DNA Database of employees.' he grumbled. 'Somehow, Sephiroth should always go to Hojo for treatments so that is 50 percent reason everyone doubts their relationship as father and son. He wants to hide it from the public. If I could get a hair, we can put an end to all doubts and that would be fun!'

'Ohhh...I got an idea!' Zack grinned. 'Sometimes, there are demonstration spars by first classes! And with that long hair, surely some strands fall off...?' Harry blinked owlishly before smirking.

'Tell me the next schedule of that demonstration my dear!' Harry grinned as he wrapped an arm around Zack's shoulder. 'And somehow, this will leak into the fanclubs.'

'A secret between us...I like it, doc!'

'Of course, I'll need your help for that.' Harry held up a capsule containing a small amount of silvery gray liquid. 'These babies are my retrieval nanos. I programmed them to retrieve anything of Sephiroth's. On the demonstration spar day, set these babies loose and they'll home in on his personal space and get me the damn hairs as a result of swiss-cheese-sparring-style. I'll pay you well if you succeeded. I can tell if my babies returned with a few strands.'

'Ooh, how much would I get paid?!' Zack squealed in glee.

'1st Class pay...how's that?' Harry smirked. 'And 1st Class pay is 250.000 Gil.'

Zack was sold. Well, recruits don't exactly have strong loyalties to organizations yet, don't they?

xxx

Three days later, Harry got that hair and called Zack to his office under the guise of parents' concern that he might get the family medical hereditaries while in the program.

'Sooo boss man, how is it? The hairs I mean.' said Zack as there was a very deep frown on Harry's face. 'Boss man?'

'This is...impossible. Seriously impossible.' Harry swore. 'This is not a DNA of a human being.'

'OK, even I know my anatomy lessons but that's some weird shit.' Zack whistled. 'So this is what they're keeping...secret?'

'And I bet my fortune not even Sephiroth knows. Sephiroth hates the greasy bastard as much as the whole military does.' Harry sighed. '75 percent is unfamiliar so I'll call it 'alien'. 25 percent is at least, human.'

'So Hojo DID tinker with him and doesn't want anyone to know?' Zack choked. 'That explains his cat-like eyes!' he exclaimed. 'So the bullshit about him wearing contacts just to look cool is exactly crap?'

'Indeed. I'll find a way to reverse this shit somehow and do Sephiroth a favor.' Harry sighed. 'Hybrid experimentations go wrong and will always go wrong. 75 percent already alienated but I'll use the remaining 25 percent humanity to figure him out. If a human is like this, they'd be complete monsters by now and it's Mako that's keeping him sane and his humanity because he is still one of the Planet's creatures and recognizes his base template as 'human'. Until then, be quiet about this because we definitely will disappear if they got wind of our little secret, Mr. Fair. That means no getting drunk in the near future as people have a tendency of spilling their most embarrassing and horrifying secrets when drunk. It's no news in college where I graduated from in the Human Psychology Department.' Zack gulped with a nod. He definitely didn't want to disappear!

Zack definitely kept their dark secret...and felt sorry for the man he strongly admires. No wonder he's got the company's backing.


	2. Two Valentines

Two Valentines

Harry began his quest of decoding Sephiroth's unusual DNA. It didn't take him long to figure this out.

Vincent DID tell him that he is injected with the Jenova Virus every month even when Lucrecia still has her son in her womb. He had Vincent send him a sample hidden in the Nibelheim Reactor and put it in a capsule, hidden inside a music box and send it to him using Zack Fair, his associate. And all Zack has to do is not be noticed by anyone in transit.

Zack would make a good Turk. Because Zack is eager to be a part of being a hero. Save Sephiroth and he's willing to help Harry humanize the guy, even if it's through errands. Good boy, that one. At least Zack gets paid and Zack fibs by saying his parents send him cash. That, and Harry teaches him sometimes. DNA Analysis after a year of difficulty? Vincent Valentine. He consulted with Vincent before involving Sephiroth. Vincent, is understandably furious with Harry's discovery and really wanted to go to Midgar, but he could NOT come unless all senior employees his chronological age are dead. They WILL recognize him and shit will hit the fan.

Vincent came anyway and an exasperated Harry used his magic to disguise him as another scientist, and let Vincent into his Infirmary, and showed him his findings.

'If I wrote all that in a letter, it'll take me a ten-feet long piece of paper held together by scotch tape.' Harry sighed. 'You're the father so I want your consent. Zack should be bringing Sephiroth over soon.' Vincent froze. 'Man up and face your 23 year old son will you?' Harry sighed. 'He'll dance hallelujah if he hears Hojo is NOT his father, AFTER beating the snot out of you as to why you left him in grease-ball's TLC.' he snarked and Vincent wanted to strangle him for that remark.

'And you know full well I didn't exactly have a choice.' Vincent scowled Harry cackled at that. Soon, Zack is in with Sephiroth...in disguise as a scientist with Zack carrying the backpack containing his clothes and boots.

'Why am I here for, Professor?'

'Thanks for the job Zack.' said Harry, tossing Zack his pay inside a froggy purse. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. Zack's getting paid for errands from this guy? 'Now we can get down to business. Sephiroth, I know this is a sensitive topic but for the love of all that's holy, you MUST cooperate.' he sighed as Sephiroth bristled. 'What do you know about your parentage?' Sephiroth stiffened.

'...my mother died in childbirth and Hojo is my father.' Sephiroth grunted stiffly. All he always gets is a vague 'Your mother's name is Jenova and she died in childbirth.' and Hojo claiming to be his father. No background whatsoever after that.

'Wrong. Look at this.' Harry put up data on the screen showing data analysis and DNA encoding and matching, leading to the guy in the room with them. Vincent Valentine and another woman, Lucrecia Crescent-and he resembled the woman, but his facial shape was that of Vincent's. Sephiroth and Zack gaped at the data and photos.

'T-this...this...' Sephiroth shook as he sharply turned to Vincent. 'Why?!' he burst out in anger and grief, recalling his miserable and painful childhood in Hojo's custody backed up by the President. Harry was glad his clinic is sound-proof and Zack cringed at his outburst. Vincent sighed and opened his polo shirt, showing him his skin which was heavily scarred with suture lines and an unusual materia in his chest. Sephiroth and Zack gasped at the gruesome sight because the operation is clearly not a clean job and deliberately done on purpose.

'This...is why.' Vincent sighed sorrowfully before closing his shirt. 'Allow me to tell you the truth.' he said wearily in a cracking voice.

'...should I be here?' Zack asked Harry awkwardly.

'You should. You know too much already anyway.' Harry deadpanned, prompting Sephiroth to raise an eyebrow before listening to Vincent.

'It was twenty-four years ago. I was a new Turk assigned on Hojo's team to protect him and your mother as they were assigned to the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim to conduct research. The Jenova Project.' Vincent snapped his fingers for Harry to reveal an image of the entity. Sephiroth stared at the...thing that he believed was his mother for so long. 'She is given that name by Professor Gast when he unearthed her from the Northern Crater in 1959 when his job was research on the legendary race of Cetra, human beings with great spiritual powers who are capable of magic without materia, and communicate with the Planet, opening up Lifestream Veins to make the land fertile. Shinra wanted all details as he believed in the Promised Land which he believes is a land full of Mako and dreams to build Neo Midgar in it. Everyone thought Jenova is a Cetra. But at the time, Midgar isn't built yet, so they sealed her in the prototype reactor in Nibelheim. That's what's in the record at least.'

'The project officially started in 1977.' Vincent continued. 'I was a mid-ranking Turk by then. For three months, a team of scientists worked together and soon, separated into two teams. Project S and that's you, and Project G led by Hollander. Because Gast left Jenova and involvement in the project in a bid to find archaeological proofs of their existence as well as relics, he wanted a full story and he was close to retirement anyway. So these two teams led by Hojo and Hollander competing on who gets to win Shinra's approval and become the new head of the Science Department. During that time, your mother and I got along well...and soon, we grew to care for each other.' he said softly. 'But one day...everything went wrong.'

'Went wrong?' Sephiroth asked as Vincent nodded.

'Apparently, your mother kept a secret from me.' Vincent sighed. 'Before getting involved in the Jenova Project, she has a project of her own. The Omega Project. My father's profile was there on her computer screen. Next thing I know, she was horrified and broke down in front of me, and tearfully admitted about the Omega project. She blamed herself for my father's death because he was her supervising senior at the time as father is a scientist. I was shocked at first but consoling her first was the first thing on my mind. But your mother has a tendency of believing what she only wanted to believe. She distanced herself from me since and most likely by the time, you were already conceived. We didn't know that back then though.'

'She clung to Hojo in a desperate bid to distance herself from me out of guilt complex.' Vincent lamented and Zack made a freak-out expression. And a month after that, she started showing. Everyone believed that the baby is theirs. It's no news what happened between us after all. Everyone kept sending me sorry looks because your mother, as they put it, ditched me for a lunatic.' he said wryly. 'They feared the baby will turn out like the father.' Sephiroth bristled in annoyance at that. 'But I hoped that you'd be more like your mother. Just without her guilt-complex and believing only what she wants to.'

'However, Hojo had a cruel idea. Injecting your mother with the Jenova Cells in hopes of passing it on you through childbirth. I protested against it because Jenova isn't clearly human even if Gast said so.' Vincent scowled. 'But they made up their mind. Lucrecia received Jenova Cells every month. After three months, he decided to inject you directly too.' Sephiroth's eyes bulged at this. 'Soon, Lucrecia suffered terrible pains. More often than not, people see her crying in pain and collapsing, so she was no longer allowed out of the mansion. I confronted Hojo because of Lucrecia's condition and her baby. He didn't care. Ends justify the means.' he said bitterly. 'We had a heated argument and since I threatened him if anything were to happen to her, he took out a gun and shot me.'

'Next thing I know, I woke up on a table, disoriented...my sight turned red and soon black. And I woke up in a Mako Tank after that. Outside the tank was your mother, fiddling with the computer and sending me frantic, worried looks. I had no idea what's happening. I had periods of sleep and waking. And when I woke up again, your mother practically shoved this materia in my chest. The laboratory destroyed and my hands...were that of a monster's. I howled in grief over losing my humanity. I had no idea who to blame and who to take it out on. Hojo or your mother. Hojo killed me and your mother did something. I just don't know what. But whatever she did, I can no longer age. I should be the same age as Hojo by now but I physically remain in my twenties. I found myself locked in a coffin in the basement of the mansion on the next time I woke up and I've been looking for your mother since. I wanted to know what was done to me and my best bet of honest answers would come from her, not Hojo. Ten years after I woke up, you're in the company beyond my reach. I can't do anything.' he said miserably.

'And how did you find him, Professor?' Sephiroth asked Harry warily. Harry snorted.

'To common knowledge, I specified in anything with the word 'bio' in it.' he scoffed. 'I also specialize in mechanics too. I could make fake birds that convincingly looks real and had a team of five spy on each town and city all over the world after I worked out your DNA Coding. It was difficult because 75 of your DNA is mutated with the remaining percent thankfully possessing genetic codes of your parents who are still thankfully recorded in Shinra Database.' he explained. 'I found this guy in Cosmo Canyon and contacted him about my findings...it was because I wanted to know why you are to specifically go to Hojo for anything medical and you're famous worldwide. Anyone would want to know about you. Your DNA alone will raise many eyebrows and not in a good way.'

'We will keep this a secret because we definitely don't want to disappear.' Harry continued. 'Anyone who gets or discovers Shinra's dirty laundry disappears. And those who caught Hojo's interest also disappears.' he said in bemusement, shaking his head. 'So Vincent, what do you want to do?'

'For now, focus on finding a way to make Sephiroth completely human again.' said Vincent. 'I'll give you as much of my DNA as you want just to fix the perversity Hojo did to him.' he demanded. 'I don't care how much I have to give up.'

'Seriously dude, you gave up a lot already.' Zack pointed out. 'Slow down!' Sephiroth...didn't know what to say. He's taking this all in after all.

'That'll take years and you know it.' Harry grunted. 'And as the donor, you need to recover. I also need Dr. Crescent's DNA, not just yours. 50-50 of a child's being come from both mother and father after all. Find her before you give me your DNA. My nanomachines will handle the rest after I create the program needed to cure him. Sephiroth, I'm giving you 15 minutes to talk to your newfound father before my next patient comes in. I have a back room for changing purposes.'

'You mean the bathroom.' Zack snorted as Sephiroth gave Vincent a nervous gaze. Vincent is just as nervous. 'Oh for crying out loud, get on with it!' silvery gray goo sprang up, wrapped around and pulled the reluctant pair into the changing room, screaming in protest. 'OK? Just exactly how much nanomachines you have in there?' Zack asked him warily, glancing nervously at the room.

'Enough to flood my office.' Harry cackled. 'Sooo Zack...what do you think of all this?' Zack deflated into a gloomy expression.

'...tragic. And I'm working for people like this?' he said in dismay. 'Where they're free to screw with our humanity under payroll?'

'Unfortunately, Shinra has control over the world now through energy source.' Harry told him wryly. 'Midgar is now the capital city of the world. The Midgar Mayor is just a figurehead to present to the populace but everyone knows who wears the pants. Afterall, it's Shinra, not the Mayor who waged war with Wutai, no? And who did SOLDIER, Peacekeeping, battleships and planes belong to?'

'Shinra.' Zack grumbled.

'So, you see?' Zack sighed. 'Now that Vincent spilled the beans, i'm interested in how Hollander created Project G. And if Hojo is that possessive of Sephiroth, no doubt he's possessive of his guinea pigs too.'

'So my job is to give you names on who goes to him and narrow it down?' Harry smiled. Zack learns well.

'You may very well become my successor. You're learning well.' Zack huffed smugly.

'I'm still Angeal's apprentice though!'

'I know I know, brat.' said Harry fondly. Zack reminded him too much of himself on some occasions which was why he took interest and quickly destroyed his hero dreams...almost. There's more to a bright future than dying for nothing in hopes of becoming a hero after all. He learn that lesson hundreds of times but...he just can't help it.

He wondered if Zack is a descendant if that's the case. He fathered many kids after all, before he became Gay. Soon, Sephiroth and Vincent came out of the changing room.

'Sooo...you two got face-to-face?' Harry smiled serenely.

'Screw you.' Vincent snarked.

'Charming, old man.'

'Damn brat.' Sephiroth stared at this...familiarity. Well, he's still in the stage of acceptance. At least his father tried to make things work by asking about him and what he wanted.

'So Sephy-dear, Zack is your link to me and I'm your link to Vincent. Got that memorized?' Harry asked the Silvette who nodded stiffly. 'It'll take years but you'll definitely be human again. I already told you what I need to make that possible. Keep this a secret.'

'Right.' Vincent disappeared in a swirl of red. 'Wha?!'

'That's one of his powers.' Harry quipped casually. Zack looked like christmas came.

'If it wasn't for how he got it, I'd say that's a cool trick!' he exclaimed, earning him a playful whack from his superior. Harry chuckled at the typical boyish playful smack.

'Moron. Well, you two scat now.' said Harry. 'Before my next patient gets here and sees you.'

xxx

'Sooo Sephiroth, what do you think?' Zack asked Sephiroth curiously.

'For how long are you working under Professor Harrison?' Sephiroth asked Zack.

'Since I was a trainee recruit and we met after my instructor took me to him my first time.' said Zack. 'He wanted to crack the mystery surrounding you and why you always go to Hojo even after Harry became the Military Physician and Doctor due to his medical nano-breakthrough yet he finds it odd that you always go to Hojo and never him, not even once. Heck, even Genesis and Angeal visited him. All he needed is a few hairs sliced off during sparring to crack the case and you already know how that went.' he sighed. 'Man...you're one strong guy. You put up with grease-ball all these years and didn't crack.'

'I didn't want to give him that satisfaction anyway.' said Sephiroth stiffly with a scowl. 'It was hell and finding my real father after some years threw the proverbial boulder off my back.'

'Well, this is lesson 101 on parenthood Sephiroth.' said Zack. 'My mother told me this. No parent will ever be cruel to their child. Hard and harsh yes, but never cruel and evil. If there was ever one, that simply means such a bastard or woman isn't meant to be a parent or never ready. And let's face it, greaseball ain't parent material for the next hundred years.' Zack then patted Sephiroth's back and ran off, leaving Sephiroth with his bag of clothes...and for the older man to think of what he learned just now.

It was comforting that his father is alive and cared for him. His mother...he really doesn't know what to feel about her. Had she kept his relationship with his father, he would have grown up with a normal life, perhaps?

What was normal?

xxx

Harry knew he would be visited by Sephiroth many times in his disguise, asking him about Vincent. How he got to know his father after locating him using his nano-birds that really convincingly looked like doves. Fatal doves though. Harry told him they can fly at sonic speeds in battle mode, and transform wings, beak and claws into lethal weapons. They can even shoot feathers! It has great military potential, but Harry only told old man Shinra about it's medical capabilities, not military. Because abuse potential is very high. The power of shapeshifting and transformation is a great and terrible power. And if mishandled, you'd end up changing your genetic code, thus no longer related to your parents because Nano-machines can reprogram and reconstruct. It's smaller than a DNA helix as seen on the screen for crying out loud. Your genes will be different before you know it which is why he didn't allow anyone to assist him in his handling of his nanomachines. They don't know about it nor has he any intention of telling them.

'So what other projects did the President ask you to do?' Sephiroth asked him with a scowl.

'Well, so far he hasn't asked me for anything crazy using my nanomachines yet. But I'm working on 'The World' as it keeps me busy. I'm creating new events, items and weapons, as well as Job Abilities.' Harry chuckled. 'I have to make things interesting so nobody loses interest. Are you playing the game by any chance?'

'I do...the Military Edition that is.' said Sephiroth. 'It's now used in magic training. It helps that outside towns and cities, it takes ten steps before a monster encounter.' Harry laughed. 'Sadist.'

'Of course. It's training after all! Magic training that is...people are fascinated with magic but never fully understand it.' Harry lectured as he conjured a fireball that turned into a bird-shaped flame, even a rabbit to Sephiroth's astonishment. 'Magic isn't always used for fighting...it's for fun and everyday life too. All you need, is imagination and believing it WILL happen. Magic is raw energy by itself but with imagination, willpower and believe it's possible. Unfortunately, hardly anyone understands that and end up using the power of materia in their primitive abilities. So much potential lost thus, which is why I created 'The World'.' he tut-tutted. 'Sometimes, being a genius is a pain in the ass. A double-edged sword.'

'Why would you say that?'

'You're ahead and yet people can never keep up nor understand you. That and jealousy breeds bitter envy and soon hatred. You got any idea how many times I had attempts of sabotage in school and College in an attempt to bring me down?' Harry snorted. 'My things would go missing. Someone would plug off my computer while working on a thesis...stuff like that. So I took steps.' he sighed.

'Steps,' said Sephiroth incredulously.

'Yes. Steps to foil every petty sabotage attempt I had the displeasure of putting up with.' said Harry dryly. 'If they put as much effort in their studies, they wouldn't have graduated with mediocre scores.'


	3. Interference

Interference

It's been a year since Sephiroth and Vincent discovered they were father and son.

Last Zack told him, Sephiroth took to being a loner which worried Genesis and Angeal but onlt the two of them knew that he's simply...catching up.

Angeal was also curious as to why Zack became a frequent visitor of the doctor's office and went to the clinic by ringing the doorbell.

Said doorbell is a loud, crazy hyena laugh as always. Angeal sighed. Every month, Professor Harrison changes his doorbell sounds and the wackier the better. Last time was an angry cat yowling and hissing and the month before that, an elephant trumpet. Ye gads. He even went as far as recording Genesis reciting Loveless, much to the redhead's embarrassment. How the hell he did that when he hardly leaves his clinic was anyone's guess. Poor Genesis was the butt of jokes for weeks until he starts hurling out fireballs.

/Yes?/

'This is 1st Class Hewley. Is Zack there?'

/Yes he is. Come in./ the sliding door opened to reveal Zack...playing The World in the clinic! 'Hello Angeal! I had Zack test out a new series for me.' Harry quipped. 'I'm releasing a new season this coming June and I wanted to tweak it some more before selling out installer CDs.'

'That explains why I don't find him.' Angeal deadpanned. 'Wait, new series?' he blinked.

'Yes. Stronger monsters, new equipment, items, places and events.' Harry explained. 'This time the world in 'The World' is an oriental land with many towns and cities, introducing a new culture, myths and folktales.'

'Oh.' soon, Zack logged out, looking pale and shaken. 'You died Zack?' Angeal asked his shuddering pupil.

'Worse! The new monster breeds are scary as heck!' Zack shuddered. 'I don't think I'll watch horror flicks ever again!' Angeal sweatdropped at Zack's comical freakout. 'Why are they so damn realistic, prof?!' he cried while pointing shakily at Harry.

'That's the beauty of VR no?' Harry smiled a bit too sweetly for comfort. 'You've seen only one monster and it freaked you out already? It's also a test of manhood you know?'

'Screw you!'

xxx

Meanwhile...

While Zack was playing, Harry was spying on the President as usual. He was eavesdropping on the man's plans. Bad enough Deepground occurred but he has no choice but to allow it to happen. Because not even he can save everyone, so he saves who he could. He prevented the kidnapping of a girl named Shelke Rui by teleporting to Mideel and kidnapped her and her sister, and put them in his hideout near Banora Village, the mountains. There, he has a lab(which he closed from the sisters) linked to his home, and an android servant would be looking after them, bringing them their needs as long as they do not leave his house. He also had his android servant train them hard to prepare for a big fight incase they were found by Turks.

The sisters dutifully obeyed. They know why Shinra wants Shelke for after all. And soon, Harry had transmitted to the android that the president was pissed because she got kidnapped by some 'other parties'. All in a day's work.

Two months after that...he met a frail-looking blonde boy...despite his good looks, he got trounced soundly by the looks of things! 'Let me guess...you got bullied for your good looks, sugar?' Harry sighed as the boy didn't talk and looked on miserably. 'Those who are weak pick on those smaller than themselves to look strong but in the end, to those who are strong, what they're doing just makes them weaker and more pathetic.' he snorted. 'Look on the bright side kid. You're getting pain tolerance training for free. And with some beatings, your muscles will adapt and harden upon developing proper muscle density to adapt to your beatings.' he patted the boy's head with a soft smile. 'Because as a SOLDIER in the battlefield...your injuries will be worse than _this_.'

'R-really?' the boy asked him meekly.

'Really. I've seen men older than you and SOLDIER come with various nasty cases.' Harry told him. 'On sorties, Sephiroth has it the worst. It's because as the General and public figure of SOLDIER, he is forced to bite more than what he could chew by the company. Because his strength and skill, as well as sensationalized media propaganda is what lures hopeful young men like you into SOLDIER so Shinra could win the Wutai Wars. That is the cruel truth about the man you admire and the sad part is, he has no choice. The company owns him.' the boy stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. 'You young men say you dream to be like him, but you have no idea how much Sephiroth scoffs at that. You're all asking to suffer the same hell he did. In fact he wished he's normal like you. He has very few friends in this company he could truly trust...among this cesspool of greed, corruption and amoral desires.'

'B-but why tell me this?!' the boy cried incredulously and feeling...sympathy?!

'Because I want you to understand what you're asking for, saying and the position of the man you admired. I only tell you and a few others because I know you'll understand.' Harry smiled. 'For now, I'll heal your pretty face and your more severe injuries, but not your bruises. Like I said, it's training. And those who are truly weak with no hope always tend to crush those with better chances, yet smaller than them just to feel better. So no matter what, be strong and show them. Show them that they're failures who failed. Failed in crushing you, your spirit and your potential.' he smiled.

'I'll ask Sephiroth to deliver a strict lecture on proper behavior for SOLDIER because there's no room for idiots in SOLDIER. A place where everyone should be comrades and brothers through pain and battle. There's no room for arrogant bullies in here. That guy owes me a favor so I think he'll do it.'

xxx

Next thing young Cloud Strife, age 14 knew...Sephiroth is the one giving strong Morals and Good Conducts Lessons for Recruits.

"He really did it..." Cloud thought incredulously. The doctor managed to get Sephiroth to do this! All his life, he'd been bullied for his looks and small stature, and his mother who is hardly around due to work was the only one he could turn to. And that, was rare. He feared that while working on his dream to change as a man through SOLDIER, he feared that he'll have no one to turn to. And he had that pretty doctor. If a frail, pretty doctor made it so high up, why couldn't he?

The word impossible only comes when you give up without giving it a try.

Cloud changed for the better and dang, he worked hard on it, using the foundation Harry had given him. He took everything like a man from then on. Next thing Harry knew three years later that it's thanks to him that he made it.

xxx

Late Summer however...Sephiroth carted in his two best friends.

'Oh! It's rare to see all three of you in my office at once!' Harry chimed happily. Indeed, it's rare to see SOLDIER's three top men in the clinic. Together. 'What can I do for you?'

'Well, we have an unusual case.' said Sephiroth. 'Angeal insisted they go to Hollander for Genesis' wound but I trust you more than that pig at any rate.' he said dryly as Harry, looked rather evil right now.

'Oh...he fully recovered enough from what I did to try and play doctor did he?' He asked them with a menacing smile. 'Sit down Genesis. I'll do a check-up before I find a way. What happened?'

'We were sparring in the VR Room and in the heat of it I went too far.' Sephiroth sighed as Harry quickly spotted the cut on Genesis' coat.

'Yep, you did.'

'Normally, mako would regenerate us, but it wouldn't.' said Genesis worriedly. 'Is my mako wearing off?'

'In all of greaseball's research when developing SOLDIER, there's so such thing as 'mako wearing off'. In my years as a doctor after becoming an authority of nanotechnology, it never happened either. Because Mako is Lifestream's lifeblood itself, the same substance injected in your veins so you have your super strength, and the same substance powering up these machines and your homes. It's forever alive and forever retains it's power in your body because you are a being of the Planet so indeed, you're a curious case...Strip and lie down in my NRI, will you? It's just us boys here, don't be shy.' Genesis muttered incoherently before doing as told and climbed up on the 'bed' before Harry operated the machine.

'Unlike standard MRIs, mine is specialized for nanomedical diagnosis, hence, **N**RI. None of those radiation stuff with me so nanomachines will be scurrying in you to give me a nice view.'

'What?!' Genesis yelped panickingly. He had heard of the tiny buggers, but having them crawl around in him?!

'It'll be OK. They're so tiny you won't feel a thing anyway. They're as tiny as half the size of a DNA cell. But what did you do to Hollander?' Sephiroth asked Harry who cackled nastily.

'When the two of us are sixteen year olds at the time my dear Sephy, that bastard forgot my rules and got so invasive like a pervert in a desperate bid to recruit me as an assistant that _I kicked his balls so hard_, he painfully peed blood for two months.' the three SOLDIERs shuddered violently in horror. That _gotta_ hurt! Strong men they may be but even them isn't implaceable enough for that! 'I don't think anyone in the Science Department will forget that anytime soon and Hollander avoided me since! And since a Turk was there, most likely, they know that old story too.' he handed Angeal a piece of paper containing his rules in print.

Angeal stared with a baffled look on his face.

Soon...after having a thorough diagnosis and Harry tinkering with his computer on a long analysis with complicated pictures of cells and data on the monitor...

'Sephiroth...I require full cooperation from you if we're to cure Genesis.' said Harry tightly. 'Only you can save him.'

'What do you mean?' Genesis demanded.

'Project G...I found you.' Harry stared at Genesis blankly, causing confused curiosity in Genesis and Angeal's faces and Sephiroth, a horrified expression. His next expression was weakly sitting down on the chair near Harry's and buried his face in his hands. An act that caused the other two to get nervous.

'Project G? What's that?' Genesis asked Sephiroth anxiously. Sephiroth gave Harry a mournful look, and the brunette nodded slowly.

Sephiroth told them about the Jenova Project done in Nibelheim twenty-four years ago and how it soon branched into S and G in a bid to compete for who'd be the next head of the Science Department after Gast retired. S was him and his family's morbid past, and they've been looking for G...until now. Genesis and Angeal stared at their friend in shock, and mortified expressions.

'And how did you know that I am G?' Genesis choked out to Harry in horror.

'Look at this.' Harry showed two images on the screen. 'The left one is Sephiroth's mutated DNA due to injections since birth...and this right one is yours.' he said softly. 'They're identical in structure somehow...until my NRI came up...with this.' he showed a third image of Genesis' inner body structure. All systems imaginable, including the mako currents as a SOLDIER.

'It's creepy to look at.' Genesis grimaced.

'All of us have the same systems with the only difference between mako currents and reproductive organs!' Harry huffed before looking serious. 'Look at where your shoulder wound is.' he instructed as the three SOLDIERs looked. From the wound...it was...turning gray around the injury...nerves, muscles, tissue? A red neon circle appeared on the wound and a red neon box appearing, reading, 'CELLULAR DEGRADATION'.

'Degradation.' Sephiroth gasped. 'How bad is that?'

'Bad because little by little...you're dying.' Genesis felt weak in his knees in fear. 'Your cells are self-destructing, thus degrading. Because your J-Cells are not fully fixed in your body unlike Sephiroth's. We need to inject you with Sephiroth's cells to counteract this, and nip this in the bud. That's the plan at least but I need to test that plan in my computer first, by taking a sample of Sephiroth's healthy cells, and Genesis' dead cells. We'll watch what happens.' Harry took out two syringes and took samples from the two men, put it on a petri dish together and put a binocular-like device over it and on the monitor screen, they watched.

Sephiroth's cells were attacking Genesis' cells...half-eating them and then took over the devoured parts and became new healthy cells.

'This looks promising...I hope.' said Angeal hopefully. Harry studied the new cells in his computer.

'We'll find out soon enough. Theories must always be proven. Moreover, I need an expert on the ones who despises Jenova most...the Cetra.'

'But aren't they extinct because the scientists screwed with us in an attempt to recreate one?!' Genesis cried hotly.

'No...Jenova is a creature that did not belong to the Planet. She's an extra-terrestrial being who devours the life energy of the unfortunate planet she lands on, uses the lifeless remains of that planet as a vessel to travel to her next meal...hence, the Northern Crater...and Professor Gast unearthed her remains there, unleashing a wave of greed for power and status by those who took interest.' Harry said monotonously. 'The Cetra became nearly extinct because they sacrificed everything just to defeat her and seal her away in the crater. Those who survived mourned their loss and proceeded to continue their life of Nomads, in order to restore the life energy Jenova stole in her invasion days. Half the Planet's lifeblood was lost and consumed by her. They had no time to marry and repopulate thus. And I know a pure survivor. We can ask her so we can safely proceed with the treatment.' he took out a phone and sped-dialled.

'Hello, Vincent?' Sephiroth paid rapt attention upon hearing his father's name. 'I need you to come to my house in Sector 3. Meet a new messenger of mine because Zack and Sephiroth are quite, the eye candy which will raise company eyebrows, so I can't send them to deliver something to you and I want the missus to look at it. My new messenger will be a cute blonde boy whose hair will definitely remind you of a chocobo's rear end. He knows nothing of course.'

'What's with that way of talking?' Genesis hissed to Sephiroth.

'He's gay.'

'...oh.' the way Harry sat on his chair, mannerisms complete with gestures...he's an effeminate gay. Not the gay who's looking for boyfriends.

'Yup...all reasons why will be on a notepad encased with a sample I'll send you. When she determines it's true nature, blast it to smithereens with your power OK? Better double-dead-twice. Thanks, be expecting you in three days and give me a call if you're there!'

'Three days, huh?' Genesis sighed gloomily. 'Will this thing spread quick?' he asked Harry worriedly.

'For now, don't get anymore injuries until we get the verdict. Three days it takes to get here and back home for Vincent. On the seventh day...will be judgment day. Take good care of yourself until then.'

xxx

'I have half a mind of murdering Hollander right now.' Genesis growled.

'No you can't. Do you want to disappear?' Sephiroth grunted. 'Those who know of Shinra's dirty laundry as father put it disappear! Due to crimes and if anyone finds out, they'll be shut up. For now, we lie in wait until you get your chance.'

'Make it seem like an outsider did it then?' Angeal swore as their silvette friend nodded. 'We need to grill him for how he did Genesis. We must know.'

'This week will be a long week.' Genesis whimpered miserably and looked severely depressed. Sephiroth sighed. They can only wait.

xxx

Three days later...

Cloud Strife found himself excused from class by the Instructor. 'Strife! You're the lucky errand boy today.' said Instructor McPhee as he took out a note. 'You'll be running an errand for some VIP thus you're excused for today's classes but you'll be doing double tomorrow!' he handed Cloud the note.

'Sir!' Cloud ran out of the class with his bag and looked at the note.

**Hey there Strife-boy!**

**Go to my clinic for your instructions.**

**Dr. Potter**

"That was direct." Cloud sweatdropped. Upon going to Harry's Office, he meeped and went pale when the SOLDIER Big Three were present, as well as Angeal's apprentice, Zack Fair.

'I think we broke him!' Zack chuckled in amusement. 'He looks like he saw Hojo in a bikini!'

'Thanks a lot for nightmares Zack.' Genesis grumbled in annoyance while shuddering.

'Now now hunny, they won't bite unless you give them a good reason to!' Harry giggled at Cloud's priceless expression. 'See? I told you he's cute!'

'P-Professor!' Cloud choked out while going red from embarrassment. 'Errand please?!' he wailed childishly. Harry took a while to stop giggling.

'First off, I want you to take this to my house in Sector 3 where you'll meet my contact.' he said as he gave Cloud a small carton box which was disguised as take-out box from McGuire's Chicken. You'll meet him by the gate. A guy in a red tattered cloak, codename Crimson. You will be identified by him as Feather. He will ask you your name first of course, before you ask his to confirm identities. Zack will ensure that you leave the company in one piece, considering...your situation.' he sighed as Cloud did not show his exasperation but his eyes were read well. 'He'll set up the GPS for you since that's not covered in your lessons yet. Let the car do the work and it'll also take you home. Just ask Crimson to wire the GPS for you.'

'Yes doc.'

'Come on buddy, let's go!' said Zack as he wrapped an arm around Zack's shoulder. 'To the parking lot we go!'


	4. Verdict

Verdict

Cosmo Canyon...

'Ifalna,' said Vincent as he came home to his wife.

'Welcome home.' Ifalna greeted. Despite her age, she maintained her youthful looks thus her appearance can deceive pretty much anybody due to what she is. But she frowned as she felt something very wrong on her husband. 'Vincent, I sense something terrible on your person...'

'That's what Harry asked us to check out.' said Vincent as he took out a box under his cloak. 'He wants your help to understand these specimens, because we found Project G.' he explained, causing her to gasp in horror. She has known of the Project and their efforts to find him. Irony was, he's working for Shinra and best friends with her stepson. 'Sephiroth gave me his cells, and the cells of Genesis Rhapsodos. He asks for your help to study the two specimens using your powers. Then we will study the results when we mixed the two specimens and jot down our answers. Then using my power, I am to destroy the combined specimen before it can taint the Lifestream by simply falling onto the soil. They're counting on us for the cure to save Genesis.'

'Very well...I'd best get on with it.' said Ifalna as she received the samples from her husband.

xxx

Days later...Harry got a phone call from Vincent. 'Vincent?'

/Harry, combining Sephiroth's cells and Genesis' dead cells creates an antibody antidote to combat the malignant virus in the body. That's our finding./ said Vincent. /However, it'll be...painful on his part. He better be prepared./ Harry shuddered.

'Yikes...send me mail as I need proof of your claims.' he instructed. 'Nobody's gonna like this you know.'

/I figure. I'll be talking to Sephiroth because his cells are needed as well./

'Over and out. I'm giving you twenty minutes because after that, I'm mailing the parties involved.'

'Roger.' Harry put down his phone and sighed. He then used his communications device to talk to Shalua. 'Shalua.'

/Yes?/

'How is your progress?'

/We're doing well but we're running low on food and hygiene stuff.../ came the worried reply.

'Right...I'll send money to your account once my shift is over. Any other concerns?' Harry asked her. Shalua Rui, the older sister of Shelke should be around Cloud's age.

/Yes well...Shelke has finished learning how to hack into programs and creating programs to complement her SND. Now she's making double-sure if she hasn't made mistakes. How else to use her SND Professor?/ Shalua asked him.

'There are so many networks in this world, not just the Infonet.' Harry chuckled. 'The network of living things, Machines, Electric and Plumbing Systems, even the Lifestream of the Planet itself but that last one is a no-no. She's not strong enough for the Lifestream yet.' he said. 'For now, I'll input training programs in your android. Exploring the SND can wait. All you need to know for now is how to fight, survive and defend, as well as intelligence gathering skills. The SND can wait when she's 15.'

/Roger that. Over and out./ Harry turned off his communication device to his android.

xxx

To Sephiroth in his Office...

His office is VERY secure. Harry had told him that he has Nanomachines in his office starting the day he met Vincent designed to watch over his office, and destroy things(read:gadgets) left behind by unauthorized personnel who managed to get in somehow. But all the same, Sephiroth asked him for security system that only he can get in and NO ONE ELSE.

This enabled him to have long chats with his real father and...be himself without worries.

Right now, he got a worrying phone call from Vincent.

Genesis is in for...a rough ride.

xxx

'S-seriously?' Genesis squeaked as he, Angeal and Zack read Vincent's lengthy e-mail in Sephiroth's Cell Phone. Genesis is in for a world of hurt. 'No painless way at all?'

'If it were that easy, we'd have done that long ago.' Harry pointed out. 'Even Sephy's stepmom says so and she's a you-know-what. There's no other way. Just think of this as a test of manhood and survive the pain, OK?' he said weakly as Genesis gave him a withering glare for that while looking at the machinery in dread. 'Now then...we'll harvest some of Sephiroth's cells proportionally to how much you've degraded. Zack, Angeal, be on standby and cast your Cure Spells when you see their health going down.'

'Right.' said Angeal as Harry got two reclining chairs with machines on standby. Genesis swallowed while Sephiroth went casually to his seat.

'Oy, aren't you nervous about this?!' Genesis sputtered out incredulously.

'Not really, I'm used to this.' Genesis' face fell before muttering, and reluctantly sat down. Harry sat on his seat to calculate how much Genesis has degraded.

'Alright, it'll be a bit hard on both of you.' Harry explained. 'Sephiroth will suffer a bit but timely Cures can fix that. The real problem is Genesis. He'll be screaming a lot once I inject him with Sephiroth's Cells. Good thing is, my room is soundproof. Bad news, you guys ain't allowed to leave until he's done screaming because no outsider must find out about this!' he said sternly.

Genesis actually whimpered, with Angeal and Zack shooting him pitying looks. Sephiroth sighed.

'...can we just get on with this?' he deadpanned. 'The sooner we're done you know.'

'Easy for you to say when you're not the one screaming!' Genesis cried shrilly.

'Alright boys, quit yakking...' Harry sighed as while typing, Nano-machines made a move to become...a giant syringe the size of a water canteen, to their collective horrors and the needle is as big as a straw! Zack whimpered audibly, Genesis was scared shitless, Sephiroth was simply unflappable and Angeal was frozen stiff in horror. It dug into Sephiroth's body, causing the other SOLDIERs to squirm in fear as it drew something from him. However, Sephiroth felt so...weak?

'W-what was taken?' Sephiroth gasped out.

'Your J-Cells of course.' said Harry casually. 'The reason the three of you are stronger than any SOLDIER out there is because of the J-Cells in your body. And Jenova is an Extra-Terrestrial Parasite who makes a living by feeding off the life energy of a Planet she landed on, and then use its remains as a vessel to sail the cosmos and land on her next er meal.' he coughed. 'Lucky for our Planet, the Cetra were there and finished her off before she could eat our Planet. To summarize, she came here hungry so her strength was very low yet for us, that's too much as almost all the Cetra died fighting her 2000 years ago. You guys inherited 1/100th of Jenova's massive power by simply having her cells in your bodies. However, by being near Jenova's body and I had Vincent destroy her by using his powers, the two of you will be driven with the need to unite and merge but since Jenova's toast, you no longer need to worry about that.' he said as the Syringe injected into Genesis' open wound and gawd, could Genesis _scream_.

'Pin him down now!' Harry cried as Zack and Angeal moved to strap him down. 'Genesis, listen carefully! You must use the mako in your body to successfully integrate the cells in your body and fix the cells into your own.' he instructed. 'In short, absorb it for yourself!'

'You could have just told him to absorb it.' Sephiroth sweatdropped while taking an Elixir for himself.

'W-well you know us scientists, I'm used to explaining the long way!' Harry sputtered in embarrassment. Genesis struggled with three SOLDIERs on him and even then, he was a handful. It took eight hours for him to...settle down.

'About damn time.' he sighed. 'Sephy, never leave Genesis' side for a week.' Harry instructed. 'During that crucial time, you are his source of stability. Even if he doesn't want to, he'll be bound to be a bit clingy on you for at least a week because you are the source of the cure and its power. Now then, we'll check Genesis' body in the NRI.' Sephiroth and Angeal moved to strip and put the exhausted redhead on the table and then the machine pulled him in. The men then looked at Genesis' body at the monitor.

'W-what's...it say?' Genesis wheezed out as to the others, they were watching Genesis' body absorbing the cells and he was starting to regenerate. However, there's an...extra thing that soon materialized.

'Holy moly...what's that?' Zack croaked out as he pointed at the left side on the monitor.

'Something's on the left side on his back.' Angeal croaked anxiously. 'By the looks of things, it was there long before the cure's administered.'

'H-hey! What're you saying?!' Genesis cried nervously. Harry got off his chair and went to his file cabinet and browsed in to take out some files...inside a gay porn envelope that got his companions GAPING.

'Oh, I used this folder to hide the information I stole from the Document Room on the short interval that the Turks aren't there.' Harry explained. 'The Turks guard the Document Room by pairs 24/7 and the short gap of their absence is ten minutes. With my skills as a hacker with outside help, I obtained info about Project G. Nobody,' he said as he took out a seemingly black tape that's in a red casing titled, 'Fun in the Honeybee' 'Will ever think to look for secrets hidden in a supposedly gay porn stash. And to be double sure, I really DO have some and the company knows I'm gay anyway because I tease some men on a daily basis for my cover and I really do watch gay porn and let people walk in on me watch to cement my alibi.' the men sweatdropped. 'Some of the Turks saw me watch porn so info circulates, and they'll let their guard down on me thinking I'm a non-threatening, eccentric employee.'

Genesis wondered if he should stay naked for long around this guy. He's starting to freak out evident by his nervous expression and trembling jaws.

Harry put the CD into his CPU and once it loaded, opened up the files in the folders. The men began reading.

**_Project Gillian_**  
_**Scientists Enlisted in the Project:** Hollander(Chief Scientist), Hewley(Specimen Donor),_  
_Sandiego(Assistant Scientist), Parkinson(Biophysics Specialist), Eisenberg(Specimen Donor)_

**Project Venue:** Banora Village

_**Sponsor:** Reginald Shinra_

_Project Gillian is a branch of the Jenova Project, the other being Sephiroth. The name came from the first volunteer_  
_Gillian Hewley..._

Angeal gasped in horror as he looked at his mother's photo. 'N-no...this can't be true!' he choked out. 'It can't be true!' he cried in horror and denial as he stepped back from the computer.

'Geal?' Genesis called out.

'Genesis...m-my mother...she's involved in the project...' Angeal sobbed in a despairing heap on the floor and Genesis' eyes popped at the revelation. 'I'm so sorry!'

'It's not your fault Angeal. Do not blame yourself for the wrongs of others.' Harry chided gently. 'In fact, taking the blame simply by relation gives the perpetrator an excuse to shift the blame on you just to feel better and excuse themselves for what they've done. You. Are. Innocent and get it through your head!'

'He's right Angeal, you've done nothing wrong!' Sephiroth and Zack cried. 'You didn't know, OK?' Zack added reassuringly.

'Can I get out of here now? I want to read that too!' Genesis grunted.

'Yeah, you can.' Harry said causing the redhead to twitch.

'Tell me that sooner!' Genesis quickly got off to get dressed and reassured Angeal with Sephiroth before going back to the monitor to read further.

_Gillian Hewley offered her unborn son Angeal for the project in hopes that her son will be the one to become a reincarnated_  
_Cetra using the cells obtained from the specimen Jenova._

'Holy...shit...' Genesis choked as poor Angeal seemed to have too much. 'Two of us...?'

'And what a small world and cruelly putting this in an ironic twist of fate.' Harry swore with a growl. 'The three of you wound up meeting and working for this fucked-up company!'

'That's an understatement of the year...continue doc. Maybe we can get a way out of this and save Angeal too incase he's also screwed over.' said Zack as with a swallow, they all continued.

_With this goal in mind, Hollander began injecting Gillian Hewley with Jenova's Cells on time intervals to let her absorb the_  
_cells before getting more injections. These injections went on, until she is close to Childbirth. This method is done in hopes_  
_that Angeal will inherit Jenova's traits during the months he is still in the womb and thus has the better chance of success._  
_However, Hollander wanted to be double-sure and asked for another specimen. Professor Eisenberg suggested that they go_  
_to some orphanage that got a baby and take that baby on the guise of adoption. He roamed the globe to find such a specimen_  
_and he found one in Nibelheim._

'Nibelheim again?!' Sephiroth growled furiously. 'Why is it that all of Shinra's corruption start in that damn town?!'

'Because Nibelheim takes the cake in the 'out-of-the-way' department. Ask Cloud.' Harry told him. 'That, and the natives never ask questions because they mind their own business and it helps that they don't like newcomers much so they ignore newcomers. Its the perfect excuse.'

_After roaming so many places, he finally found a baby up for adoption. The baby is named Genesis by its mother who left him there._  
_According to the Orphanage Matron, his mother is Alexandra Cuthbert, a girl of age 16, the result of a brutal rape and her father angrily_  
_killed her rapist-her drunk boyfriend, but she conceived a baby from the traumatic event. She couldn't bring herself to abort the baby _  
_as she said that its innocent from its father's crimes but at the same time, she couldn't bear to keep him as he is the living reminder of_  
_her boyfriend's cruel betrayal. The day she gave birth is the same day she gave up the baby to the orphanage._

Genesis felt weak in the knees and slumped onto the floor upon reading of his origins in shock. His father is a rapist and his own mother couldn't keep him. The others felt sorry for the redhead.

_Upon obtaining Genesis under the guise of adoption, he is taken to become another test subject for Project G. He is injected by Gillian's_  
_cells that mutated upon absorbing the J-Cells for nine months. Both infants are thoroughly studied by Hollander and the findings from_  
_both boys are that the results obtained are different, starting with Genesis. By using Jenova's abilities as a conduit to transfer the donor's _  
_abilities to the host, the host eventually takes on the appearance of the donor and gain some of their abilities. The two subjects can make_  
_clones of themselves and those who received their cells will take on the appearance of the donor and obtain their abilities. However, the_  
_specimen Genesis' ability is much weaker unlike the first specimen Angeal as because he is merely injected with Gillian's Cells, the cells_  
_are not fixed in his body. Thus Genesis-Clones start Cellular Degradation and acceleration of the Degradation depends on the subject's_  
_Physical Potential, and can only use humans as clones. Thus he is labeled a failure. Hollander suspects he too, may degrade in years to come._

_As for Specimen Angeal who has the cells fixed in his body through inheritance by childbirth, the transfer of abilities between donor and host_  
_ can go both ways for Angeal - as he can imbue others with his abilities, he can also absorb copies he has created to take on their abilities._  
_By giving his cells to his clones, the degradation is thus triggered. However, by absorbing his clones, he recovers from degradation and fully_  
_cured from the condition. However, his copies also degrade but not as fast as the Genesis copies. Degradation Rate is ten times slower than_  
_the G-Copies. However, upon gaining these results, the President did not tolerate failure and the Degradation ailment is not his idea of a perfect_  
_Cetra Reincarnation and is highly unlikely to lead Shinra to the fabled Promised Land thus this project is scrapped. Gillian was allowed to keep_  
_her son while Genesis is given to the landlord of the village, the Rhapsodos Family and the team of scientists disbanded._

'You have got to be freaking kidding me...' Genesis choked as he and Angeal were horrified about the revelation.

'B-but you're cured anyway right?' Zack quickly reassured him. 'And as long as Angeal doesn't make copies, he won't degrade! And since you're cured, you have the same potential and solution as he is. Problem solved!'

'Indeed that seems to be the case.' said Sephiroth, agreeing with Zack. 'Both of you will be alright. Despite our...origins, the three of us will not die and live a long life.'

'But how can we live like this knowing we have alien bits within us?' Angeal asked him despairingly.

'Maybe just like Sephiroth, I can locate your parents and have them fork over their cells to fix your DNA. But given Genesis' situation if his mother is still alive, his maternal grandfather killed his father so we'll have to use his parents.' Harry explained. 'And they're all in Nibelheim. Easy. As for Angeal's father, we'll have to do some detective work. Leave the detective work to me and Zack as the three of you, being Shinra's Stars in the Wutai Wars, any move of yours is closely watched and you even have fanclubs for crying out loud. If the fanclubs get wind of your sleuthing work, this can easily turn into a scandal and all parties involved will be killed and in your case, be under scrutiny before being made to disappear by simply knowing the truth. As for Zack, even if he is Angeal's apprentice, he is not closely watched and he is known for volunteering for me in my new game softwares, so him hanging around me is ignored.'

'You guys wait OK?' said Zack. 'Professor and I will work hard to get what you guys need to be OK again. It might take a while but hey, the wait will be worth it!' he said optimistically.

'That's all options we have it seems.' said Genesis with a long sigh. 'We're counting on the two of you to be fully human again.' he said.

'Right...so to be safe, I'll be needing a bit of your human cells, not your mutated cells.' said Harry. 'Sephiroth is 75% Jenova, Genesis is 56% and Angeal 70%. I can easily harvest your unaffected, pure human cells to help things along. Oh, and here.' he gave them three test tubes with corks.

'...what's this for?' Sephiroth asked him as they looked at the vials.

'I need some sperm cells and I can get that if you three wank off.'

Harry earned three whacks from the men in question.

xxx

'Seriously, you need their junk?' Zack squeaked in disbelief as the three older SOLDIERs left the Infirmary. 'Aren't their cells enough?'

'Not enough because...using their parents as DNA Material has only 50% chance of success.' said Harry softly to Zack's horror. 'That's why I took the trouble of obtaining their pure human cells, and asked them for their sperm cells. Because I will attempt to make human clones of those three as fully compatible cell donors to completely cure them, but will result in the deaths of their clones.' Zack gasped at this. 'Vincent's gonna kill me for this one...but it must be done.'

'No shit, he'll REALLY kill you.' Zack said blandly. 'Making human clones of those guys...that means the clones are alive and have their own personalities and stuff...'

'IF I let them wake...' said Harry. 'The clones will be fast asleep from cradle to grave. They won't know what happened. This may be cruel but its the only 100% chance we have to save those three.'


	5. Brother

Brother

Indeed, when Vincent got wind of the plan...he was furious alright, and blew up on Harry at the phone.

The plan? Harry intended to clone the three men using their pure human cells, their sperm cells, and three egg cells from his wife to create three pure human clones with Cetra lineages, and use the cells of the clones to completely humanize the three. However, this will also result in the death of the clones. 'He can't be serious!' he swore as he paced in the living room back and forth.

'By the looks of things, he IS serious because even he knew that you'll be extremely angry about this and he expected it.' said Ifalna with a sigh. 'Let's face it Vincent...as long as Lucrecia has Jenova Cells, she can't be the donor to cure Sephiroth. Genesis' father is dead and results will be debatable if his grandparents' DNA are used and who knows who's Angeal's father...50% is not good enough and may cause complications.' she explained. 'You are pure human, but possessing a stagnant mako current thus Sephiroth may also become a Chaos Vessel to a lesser extent. It may...complicate things.'

'But that doesn't exactly make me happy about this.' Vincent swore as he sat on the sofa with his wife. 'I'm worried about you, given your...history in Hojo's mercies with Aerith.' In fact, out of Vincent's paranoia, he trained his stepdaughter to be combat-able so she could protect herself and is working on his children with his wife. Said kids inherited his stagnant mako currents, but cannot transform into Chaos, to his relief. If any, all they got from him is the porcelain skin and the reddish glow of their eyes.

'We recovered thanks to both you and Harry.' said Ifalna reassuringly. 'And with you, we have a happy family life. It's all we want.' she said as she embraced Vincent in comfort. 'But lives are important too. Your son and his friends...even if the method is...not-really-desirable, its all we have. And after the cure, those boys might change...prompting them to defect from the company to protect their humanity.'

'I still don't like this.' Vincent sighed.

'Maa maa...'

xxx

A month later...

Cloud Strife started to have a meaningful life in the company.

He heeded Harry's advice and took things in stride. He did his best despite being bullied. And when things get crazy, somehow one way or other, the 'Big Three' finds him and catches perpetrators when they're about to do something worser than a beating. It was due to his cute looks and the place is a male-only dominated company with the rare women being in office-related jobs, the Science Department and the Turks. Thus, males took to their fairer companions for...stress relief, and he was the cutest boy in his class and year levels that upperclassmen also took a shine to him.

Not really...

He was wanted as an outlet for sexual frustrations that he quickly flees and when cornered, fights his damn hardest before he could flee. On times he can't run, he gets timely saved by the Big Three and Zack and he knew this just CAN'T be coincidence!

Everyone else thought so too...this was just...too uncanny, and a lot of boys were in Detention Rooms that were full for 'inappropriate behavior'.

Six months after that, nobody's onto him anymore in fear of being caught and decreasing their standing. He sent thank you gifts to the Big Four(because Zack became a 1st Class) in the form of homemade snacks. Although he would have to send Sephiroth's through Harry as last he checked, the man has ultimate security. He also took to hanging out with Zack and became fast friends with the older boy by three years picking him as his pupil...eventually. In fact, by mentoring him, he gained the skills needed to pass, with his final hurdle being the Mako Exposure...that he also passed and graduated to 3rd Class.

He was ecstatic enough to WANT to go home to tell his mother the good news that he got in after three years of hell in the Training Program.

However...

'So...little Cloudy wants to go home before he starts his job, because he wanted to tell his mother personally. He believes letters aren't enough.' Zack finished in the 1st Class Lounge accessible only by 1st Class SOLDIERs and those they allow in. 'Going home to Nibelheim and he invited me along.'

'Really now?' Genesis got his book off his face to glance at him. 'Nibelheim...eh?' he snapped his book shut and got off the couch. 'I suppose I should pay my dear mother a visit...if she's still alive.'

'Genesis...' Sephiroth spoke out but Genesis raised his hand to silence him.

'I want closure Sephiroth.' said Genesis softly. 'After learning that truth three years ago...I want to know what sort of woman my mother is. I can't even investigate because the company knows her and my...family.' he said stiffly. 'This is my good excuse and the best one I can only get. I'm coming with you on that trip. The war's over anyway.'

'Get that fixed with Lazard.' said Angeal. 'We'll watch over the company with Professor Potter's help while you're gone. That way if they plan something concerning that village, we can warn you in time.'

'Thanks guys.' Genesis smiled. 'Come on puppy, let's go get your kitten.' he chuckled as he went out.

'Hey! For the last time he's a chocobo, not a kitten!' Zack yelled after him as they left the lounge.

'...you seriously think those two will be fine?' Sephiroth asked Angeal wryly and the brunette looked rather exasperated.

'Since they're with Cloud who knows nothing about us, I trust that they can keep their mouths shut. Nothing will leak thus.'

xxx

'Really, I'm given clearance to go home?' Cloud asked Lazard hopefully.

'Yes, I see no harm in going home once in a while.' Lazard chuckled at the new graduate before him. 'In fact, many others requested a week home leave, not just you, you know. Letters can be forged anytime after all and nobody will believe unless they see with their own eyes. Even Zack went home...although he came back saying he got quite the ass-whooping from his mother...and that's what he gets from leaving home without a word to be a SOLDIER.' Cloud sweatdropped. 'We don't have proof of that though, with your mako systems, injuries regenerate...its just his word. I also got wind that Genesis wants to come along on your trip with Zack since he misses the countryside and got sick of the city views. Since no job for now, I allowed it.'

'I don't mind.' Cloud smiled. 'I'm close friends with those guys, we get along well really great!'

'That's good to hear.' said Lazard. 'I hope with your calm, gentle personality, you can help Angeal handle those three.' he said. 'They're...far rambunctious than they look.' he said with a snort. Cloud scoffed.

'I understand Zack and Genesis to a degree but Sephiroth?' he chortled. 'I'd sooner see him asking a woman out on a date which is never!'

xxx

On a helicopter ride to Gold Saucer...there's one problem.

Cloud...is afraid of heights. In fact, he was hiding under the seats!

'Cloudy, we got a great driver, we're not gonna crash on a trip home!' Zack pointed out in exasperation as he was securing his squirming student with his muscular arms after managing to pull him out under the seats.

'Looks like a visit to the Simulation Room is in order after this eh?' Genesis laughed.

'Z-Zack, lemme go! I don't want to be near the windows!' Cloud wailed panickingly. 'Couldn't we have chosen to ride on a ship as planned?!'

'Unfortunately, there are Wutainese Insurgents about who'll be happy to sink our ship we're in, innocent civilians be damned just to kill us.' Zack pointed out. 'Even in our civvies, our eyes are a dead giveaway and shades are useless either because of our glowy eyes. So to Private Airways it is. And also...look out the windows.' he ordered.

'Hell no!'

'Think of this as simulation training! Besides, someday you'll be ordered to pilot, you can't be like this you know.' said Zack wryly. 'So look out the window and get used to heights. As SOLDIERs, we can't be choosy with whatever our jobs will be.' but still, Cloud was a handful to handle out of his sheer fear that Zack took to distracting him by being a comedian.

It worked.

xxx

Upon arrival at Gold Saucer, they rented a jeep, heading for Nibelheim.

'So Cloud, what kind of place is Nibelheim?' Genesis asked Cloud curiously.

'We're at the foot of the Nibel Mountains a bit up north so it can get cold even in the Summer.' said Cloud. 'That mountain blows cold air at us somehow so we're not complaining about being too hot or anything. If any, we're getting free air conditioning by nature you know! That and my town is...uh...' he gagged. 'Old fashioned.'

'Old fashioned?'

'Yeah. Traditionalistic values and beliefs...heck, women are nothing but housewives and baby factories destined to be given away to men who'll be happy to marry them while the men has so much rights while women have little rights.' Cloud sighed. 'My mother is engaged to my father when she was 26 years old after she recovered from something they won't tell me yet.' he said. 'By then she was too old to marry, she was lucky someone wanted her otherwise I wouldn't be here today.' Cloud told them. 'I wanted big money and SOLDIER means money. I can get my mother out of Nibelheim so she can be free like other women I see in Midgar's streets. Ooh just you wait, when we drop by, fathers will practically offer us marriage proposals to their girls or something...' he scowled. 'Just giving you a heads-up because that's what's waiting for us when we get there.'

'That's gotta suck...' Zack grimaced. 'So SOLDIER is money and freedom for your mom huh?'

'Yep. I hate my town.' Cloud sighed. 'It's so...stagnant.' he said in utter contempt. 'The way of life, status quo, destined positions and all that trash...at first I was used to it until I arrived in Midgar. When I first arrived three years ago, I was surprised that women and girls in the city are so...free.'

'But what about your dad? You never talked about him.' Zack pointed out. Cloud sighed.

'Dad joined Shinra's Peacekeeping Troops since like I was thinking, the city is a greener pasture.' he said. 'And he was there when Shinra declared war on Wutai when Lord Godo refused to have a Mako Reactor built in Wutai. He accompanied the President with Sephiroth on that fateful day and he got killed by a Crescent Unit member on duty. We just got the news...and there's no body to bury. Who knows what they did with it. After that, for some reason nobody would tell me, my mother got the nickname 'Unlucky Sandra'. Grandma and Grandpa supported us after dad died.' Zack and Genesis did a double-take.

'That's mean!' Zack cried angrily.

'I know. Another reason I'm eager to get my mom out of that town.' Cloud grumbled. 'Now that I'm a SOLDIER with high pay, maybe I can move her to Kalm once I earned enough. We get monthly pay right?'

'Yep, that and we get additional pay if we did jobs!'

xxx

Nibelheim...two days later...

'OK, we're here!' said Zack as he parked the jeep away and they got off the jeep.

'Man, my rear end hurts...I could use a nice soft bed after this!' Genesis exclaimed as he stretched his spine and legs and so did his two younger companions.

'Er sorry to burst your bubble but you can't expect something like that in this area.' Cloud pointed out. 'The beds here are like the kind you get in Cadet Barracks you know!' Genesis' jaws dropped in horror and dismay.

'You've got to be kidding me?!'

'I kid you not.' said Cloud wryly. 'I know because I'm a native you know.' they then made their trip into town and...they got OGLED at by everyone.

'Wooow...I feel like a museum showpiece.' said Genesis wryly. 'So where's your house?'

'This way...its near the Bakery.' Cloud smiled when a rather busty but CLEARLY young girl approached him.

'Cloud? Is that really you?' she asked him. 'And you're taller than me now!' she beamed as she stood on tiptoe just to pat his head with her hand.

'Hello too Tifa.' Cloud greeted. 'These two guys are my commanding officers, 1st Class Zack Fair my teacher, and our Commander Genesis Rhapsodos.' he introduced his seniors. 'We'll be here for three days since I'm visiting my mom and they came along.'

'Ooh who's she Cloud, your girlfriend?' Zack asked him teasingly with wiggling eyebrows.

'You wish, she already has a fiancée.' Cloud deadpanned.

'Awww rats, she's cute and she's friendly with you.' Zack tut-tutted, thinking Cloud got unlucky. Tifa's cute with a rack and figure to complement her looks. Her fiancée in his opinion, is one lucky bastard.

'And he's in Shinra with you.' Tifa said wryly, putting her hands on his hips as she walked with them. 'Have you seen Andy in there?' she asked. 'For some reason, his letters stopped coming a year and half ago.' she said with a frown. 'I asked his parents, he's not mailing them either.' Cloud cringed. '...you know what happened to him?'

'Yeah, I got document proof I took along.' he said as he took out his bag and gave her a thick envelope. 'Your family and his family should see that together. I got lucky I have a very good friend in the company who got me that because Andy's my roommate and I never saw him in that timeline since. You're not gonna like what you'll find in there.' Tifa frowned before running off.

'...what happened to that guy?' Genesis inquired as he watched Tifa run away to a house he presumed must be hers.

'...Andy and some friends got drunk before the day he disappeared and those kids disappeared with him.' said Cloud. 'The nitwits thought while drunk, that it's a good idea to go to the Train Graveyard. Unfortunately for them according to camera footage, the Turks have business in that area and they witnessed something they shouldn't have.' Zack and Genesis blanched. 'Needless to say Veld and some other Turks took them and I never saw Andy and his buddies ever again. Professor Harry helped me out with getting that information after I did him a favor. He never did say what they saw because otherwise if the Turks know I know what they're doing in there, I'll disappear too, SOLDIER or not.'

'I see...well, the Turks are in charge of Black Ops.' Genesis sighed. 'They do jobs nobody wants to do, thus their pay is higher than ours.'

'No way?!' Zack and Cloud sputtered and Genesis nodded grimly with a dour expression. 'No fair!'

'Well, its fair.' Genesis said. 'Like I said, they do jobs nobody wants to do so they're appropriately...compensated.'

xxx

Cloud's House...

'Mom! Grandma, Grandpa, I'm home with some friends!' Cloud announced cheerfully as they went inside.

'Hey, do they even know we're coming?' Genesis asked him nervously.

'They know, I mailed them in advance before graduation.' said Cloud. 'Maybe mom's at work...and grandpa's working in his Workshop probably while grandma's hanging out in the old ladies' club again.'

'By the way Cloud...speaking of fiancées, got any yet?' Zack asked him curiously as they settled down. 'Your friend Tifa is engaged right?'

'Eh no...tradition is boys get a fiancée their father or in my case grandfather chooses for them at 18 years old and the girls must always be a year or two younger.' Cloud explained. 'I'm 17 now and my grandparents are probably bride-hunting for me right now...' he said thoughtfully. 'Even though I told them that with my job, I have no time for matchmaking since I'll hardly see the girl in question and choose somebody in Midgar instead. I hope they hadn't picked anyone!' he shuddered. 'I'm not mentally ready yet! Anyhow, you two settle down. I'll get started on dinner OK?'

'Hey, how about we explore the town eh?' Zack suggested to Genesis. 'Dinner will take a while.'

'I suppose because cooking for a family and SOLDIERs will take...quite a while...'

xxx

'So Genny, what do we do while Cloud's cooking?' Zack wondered aloud. 'Do we look for that special lady of yours?' he asked. 'We're in your birthplace, so might as well. Its what we came here for using Cloud's need to see his family as an excuse to tag ourselves along out of curiosity.'

'Well...that's the plan but...' said Genesis shakily. 'I got a bad case of cold feet.' Zack inwardly sweatdropped. Genesis of all people, cold feet? Then again...

'Now's our only chance buddy.' Zack told him. 'We may never get another.' he advised with an encouraging smile. 'Come on. And in my experience...old biddies talk a lot, so let's explore town, wait for someone to see resemblance and comment about it. Nibelheim's a pretty small town...I counted only a hundred and fifty houses over here. Everyone knows each other thus and are literally close relatives with each other. C'mon.' and so, they explored the village...

They walked around with various reactions.

People were whispering about the two men who were 'being Tourists' checking out shops. And with their advanced SOLDIER hearing that's not public knowledge, they got this:

Some women think they're hot.

Some wondered what are SOLDIERs thinking, using Nobelheim of all places as a vacation spot when there's nothing interesting.

Some wondered if they're single for marriage potential.

Some wondered if they're moving in? WTF?

However, after some wandering arounds...the pair eventually hit jackpot when in a weapons' shop, they asked for sharpening of their swords. The middle-aged assistant couldn't keep his eyes off Genesis.

'Uhhh I know I'm famous mister, I even have my own fanclub in the company.' said Genesis sheepishly with an expression to match.

'Its not that, silly boy, you just remind me of someone.' he said as he began sharpening Zack's sword.

'Someone...?' Zack blinked. This is it...

'You look like Cloud's mother. Nice kid, that one. So polite, kind and gentle.' he chuckled. 'You're like a red-haired, male version of her and Cloud is just as pretty.' the SOLDIERs face-faulted. 'Her blood and beauty is strong which is why many men desired her. However, on that day...she would have married her fiancée if only he didn't commit that awful crime.' Genesis and Zack knew they struck gold. 'For our boys not to do what he did, he was made exampled of, and her father killed him. Sandra got pregnant but she couldn't bear to keep her baby. A living reminder of the brutal betrayal of trust. She married ten years after that after she overcame her trauma and fear of men.'

xxx

'Holy fuck...' Genesis choked as after getting their swords sharpened, he was the first to leave the shop as calmly as he could. 'Fuck fuck fuckity fuck...' he said weakly as he leaned on the wall. 'Cloud...he's my _brother_?' he choked as he sank into the ground while thinking of Zack's gentle apprentice.

'I'd say congratulations but how do we deal with this?' Zack asked him. 'We're having dinner with the Strifes tonight and Cloud's family might freak out upon seeing you.' Genesis shut his eyes tight and pursed his lower lip and tossed his head up as if struggling.

'I should face this now.' he said. 'Better now...its my only chance. And will Cloud hate me when he finds out? I just found out we're related!'

'I don't think Cloud will hate you.' Zack told him. 'We know each other and we're all close friends. He knows you as a person. There's no way he'll hate you just because his folks says he should.' he reassuringly squeezed the redhead's shoulder. 'I know Cloud well. Be more confident and optimistic!' he patted his back. 'Besides...Cloud has a right to know. He probably thinks he's an only child...and when we talked, do you know what he said?' he asked him gently.

'W-what did he say?' Genesis choked as Zack took out a tape recorder and played it. 'The hell is that?'

'Oh, my audio diaries.' Zack grinned. 'I record everything we talk about every damn day so I can understand him better starting the day I chose him as my student. Now listen.'

/So Cloudy,/ Audio Zack asked, /Are you an only child in the family?/

/Well yes. I asked my parents time and again why I couldn't have brothers and sisters. Mother would always cry and father would just tell me that I should go out and play or change the subject./ said Audio-Cloud's voice softly. /I'm all alone and...it'd be nice if I actually have siblings. Maybe if I had any, that one died before I was born and they didn't want to talk about it? If so, I looked for a grave but I couldn't find any. Not even a name. But why would mother cry when I always ask?/ and pause, before Zack pocketed the recorder. Genesis felt weak...so weak.

'Let's get this over with.'


	6. Harry's Past

Harry's Past

Genesis gathered his wits and courage as he came back to Cloud's house with Zack. 'Cloud? We're back.'

'Ah, welcome back.' Cloud greeted. 'My family came back twenty minutes ago and I told them about you guys. Have you two booked rooms at the Inn?'

'Er not yet, we'll do that later.' said Zack with a grin. 'We pretty much explored your town.'

'Ah souka...anyway, here's my mom and grandparents.' Cloud said with a beaming smile, introducing his family. 'Mom, grandma, grandpa, they're my commanding officers and friends in the company.' he said. 'They're also 1st Class.'

'Nice to meet you!' Genesis and Zack greeted.

'Oh, I have no idea SOLDIERs are that tall!' Cloud's grandmother exclaimed upon seeing them. 'Never met such tall men in my life!'

'Well it came with strict company diet ma'am.' Genesis chuckled, while looking at his...family with awkward feelings. 'Soon Cloud will be bumping his head on your doorpost when he's at our level.'

'Jeez, it can't be that bad can it?' Cloud pouted.

'It is, if the company went so far as adjusting the doors for us by through remodeling since we can't smack our heads on a daily basis.' Genesis snorted as he and Zack sat on the table. 'I remember that when SOLDIER recruiting started two years after the war, we've been seeing Sephiroth smack his head while in deep thought or carrying various things to his office, he got so mad and filed for a request to make the doors higher because he keeps hitting himself.' he snickered.

'That's gotta be scary...Sephiroth of all people mad.' Cloud shuddered.

'You don't know half of it, nobody could look at him in fear he'd snap at them anytime soon!'

'What's it like? Ol' Sephy being pissed off?' Zack goaded Genesis who shuddered.

'His eyes are like predator homing on prey. He's emitting a cold aura of anger that everyone would flee the hallway or room he was in or hide somewhere till he cooled off. Even the President's late wife who he usually got along well with got spooked. He's not the kind of explode like popcorn when heated enough, he's the kind that makes you lower than an ant when he directs his outrage at you while speaking as calmly as he could with an angry stare. How the hell he does that is anyone's guess. You'll never want to be on his bad side ever again.'

'Yikes!'

'And be lucky very few things anger him.' Genesis chuckled airily. 'If a lot, we won't survive our job if we're nervous most of the time.' Genesis had lots of dinner stories about 'the old days' that got his brother and Zack eager for more while his family asked about their jobs, and if Cloud will be OK or not because he's the only child in the family.

Genesis held back his hurt feelings with a forced smile on his face. He hoped that they would see the semblance but apparently not, and the mere mention of 'only child' meant that they washed their hands off him, a child born out of rape.

xxx

'Gen, are you OK?' Zack asked Genesis as they got into their room in the Inn.

'I-I'm fine...really.' Genesis said in a cracked voice as he sat on the bed, hunched over and looked ready to break.

'If you say so...' said Zack skeptically and worriedly, before hugging him from behind. 'I'm no Angeal but...let it out.' he advised. 'Its not healthy to bottle it up.'

xxx

Midgar, in a Laboratory somewhere...

The laboratory in question...looked very organic and...an alien construct.

'It seems they're almost done now...' Harry mused as he was in another form in his laboratory. He wore clothing befitting a Lich, the highest Necromancer Rank. Befitting really due to what he is...and before him are three organic, alien-looking tanks containing longhaired clones of a black-haired Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal. 'I better get Sephiroth and Angeal over.' He looked at his crystal ball to see Sephiroth working in his office, and Angeal going to his room. Perfect.

He waved his hand and a baffled pair of men appeared before him.

'Wha?!' they gasped before seeing in in his...very unusual attire. He even held a frightening-looking scythe!

'W-who're you?' Angeal croaked out as Harry raised an eyebrow.

'Its me you halfwits. Harry.' Harry's elaborately creepy outfit vanished, changing back to his Scientist Uniform, surprising them.

'Y-you're no ordinary man...are you?' Sephiroth croaked as he backed away enough that he hit something. He looked behind him to see three tanks...containing clones. 'What is this?!'

'...your pure human clones of course.' said Harry as he conjured three seats. 'That's what you'd look like if you were ordinary, untrained guys. And Sephiroth, that's what you'd really look like if Hojo and your mother didn't fuck with your life.' Sephiroth stared at his black-haired clone with his jaw ajar. Angeal stared at his and Genesis' clones that were...unbelievably skinny and lean. 'The original plan was that...I'd use the cells of your parents to humanize you. But problems arose. Vincent is a pure human with a stagnant mako current while Lucrecia is nearly 95% Jenova, they're unusable. Genesis' mother is still alive no doubt but his father is dead and I need both parents. Gillian Hewley is tainted and nobody mentioned who's Angeal's father. So creating pure human clones of you guys is the next best thing. They will be your cell donors as I scrape off every last Jenova Cell off your body, and replace the tainted cells with pure human cells, effectively turning you boys into full humans, but of course, you'll retain your hard-earned and strength as SOLDIERs. However, as most of your powers came from Jenova, you'll have to retrain from scratch as you'll lose that happy power.' he explained. 'And taking cells from your clones...will result in the death of your clones.'

'Can't we do this in a more humane way?' Angeal choked out. 'T-these guys are innocent!' he cried in protest while glancing at the clones. Harry looked grim and grave.

'I know. They are innocent.' said Harry softly. 'If they wake, they are mentally infants wanting to explore their worlds. But with an adult brain they'll learn quick. And they are innocent which is why I will never let them know of the great crime that I will do to them. That I created and raised them just for them to die upon fulfilling their purpose. Your clones are the only ones that can save you now. And I'm sorry about this but your families leave me no choice.' Sephiroth and Angeal didn't know what to say to that. 'And if it helps, Vincent was very, VERY angry with me for doing such a thing, even if it means salvation by humanity. Because this is clearly...unethical.' he said, glancing at his clones. 'I'm treading nearly into Hojo-territory.'

'Harry...' Sephiroth muttered the man's name. 'But where are we...and what are you?' he asked Harry who wore a dry smile.

'I lived for a very long time...due to a curse.' said Harry. 'And I don't exactly belong in this Planet either. I am an alien just like Jenova by simply being an outsider, but I am a cursed human from a world very far away from here.' he sighed. 'I am from Earth. A Planet 9 million light years away from this one.' their jaws dropped at this. 'And I was a wizard. Hence my appearance that you saw when you got here.'

'In my world, there are humans, and then we witches and wizards. But we hide our existence from humans with many good reasons. In every country in Earth, there is a hidden magical community. And there is a legend in my country, Britain.' Harry continued. He told them about the story of the Deathly Hallows and what they are. And in the Second Wizarding Wars...Harry unwittingly united all Hallows by coming into contact with all three of them and after the wars, he noticed that he was no longer aging. Injuries heal quick. He never got sick. 'You can only imagine my horror and the horror of my loved ones when they got wind that uniting all Deathly Hallows turned me...immortal.' he choked as his eyes welled up in tears. 'By uniting all three, all Aspects of Death are lost to me forever. I watched as my family through marriage and my friends grew old and died around me while I was still the same. My wish to be a normal man after a hellish childhood and adolescence is forever out of my reach.'

Indeed, that has got to suck, judging by Sephiroth and Angeal's crestfallen expressions.

'I hid myself for many years and soon centuries. I roamed around Earth, never staying in one village, town, city and soon country for too long. I got fluent in all languages and I know every country's culture intimately, I was a frigging walking encyclopedia and dictionary.' Harry chuckled bitterly. 'I experimented in magic from magic communities all over the world and I trained hard to find a way around my curse through Necromancy. I can only soften it, not completely remove it. The curse changed to Reincarnation, not Immortality. Every time I die from old age after eighty or so years, I will be reborn as an infant...with all my memories intact and then life goes on. And to REALLY dispel my curse over me, I have to live for 10000 years to find myself a worthy successor who will not abuse the power I'll dump on them. But sadly...for a million years...nobody fit the bill. Fantasies inspired by greed ran amuck and I had to kill the person I told.'

'I went from family to family. I used the names they gave me...and I used my vast powers as a Sorcerer to fix my Planet after too much pollution trapped so much greenhouse gases that the polar caps melted and sea levels rose, drowning many Island Countries into non-existence and Earth got too hot that it no longer snows. A lot of life whether land and sea were severely affected by too much Global Warming. Lots of lives died.'

'I used my power to change Earth at the cost of my current life. I fixed the Ozone Layer and made it thick at the cost of my current existence. I diffused all that heat and polluted air into Outer Space next, third was cleaning up the polluted bodies of water all over the world and the last was restoring Antartica and Artic Circle, the continents and lands of ice that sea levels drastically sank. Places that originally had snow caps are also restored and the trash that humanity can't dispose of, I 'deleted' their existence. I died many times to save Life on Earth. However, my following stunts caused irregular, abnormal weather for a hundred years until balance was restored. Nature recovered from the damages done by humanity. But I decided that...I can't be their...God forever and being their God means cleaning up their messes.' he said wryly. 'But nonetheless, I kept watch over Earth...for about 15000 years.'

'By then, Earth was so...overpopulated that humanity decided to colonize the excess humans. Vast lands became farms, struggling to feed the massive populations. And with about 50 billion people in one planet, the United Nations predicted that Earth's resources will soon be exhausted and become a Planet impossible to support human life due to modern technologies and lifestyles developed that consumed so much resources. Thus with the remaining resources left in Earth, the humans constructed Super Carriers. Giant Ships containing a lot of humans, tools, medicine and food. One Super Carrier per Country. What I was doing at the time, was of course, restoring Earth. And then by the time humanity left Earth, I activated a spell that will erase evidences of human life. Buildings...and many more man-made things and trash. That killed me and reverted me to baby-hood of course. And then all of us went into Cold Sleep and our lives are in the hands of the Artificial Intelligence controlling the Carriers, looking for a Planet that can support human life. We only woke...after 1000 light years and my ship landed on a Planet capable of supporting life.'

'I lived on that Planet for a Millennia, studying our new home with other Scientists. We named our new planet Melanos after the word Melanin...because its unusual atmosphere and consuming flora and fauna turned our skins porcelain white.' Harry snorted. 'Humanity of Melanos suddenly got a ridiculous need for vanity and all research went to Cosmetology.' he chuckled. 'We even turned our culture ala fantasia. We lived in peace in Melanos and humans learned the mistakes they made in Earth and swore to never repeat in Melanos...the Planet of Perfect Beauty.'

'That explains your...looks.' Sephiroth coughed as Harry looked sheepish.

'That Planet is 1 million light years northwest from here using my ship that I hid somewhere here.' Harry chuckled. 'I visit there sometimes for beauty updates...I guess that's why I became gay over time.' the two SOLDIERs sweatdropped.

'And what about this...organic-looking appearance?' Angeal asked him as they looked at the lab they were in.

'Oh, I imitated the structural construction of an alien species, that's all. It looks cool.' sweatdrops again.

'So you've been a scientist all your long life huh?' Sephiroth twitched. 'That's why you can easily pull these stunts?'

'Yep, pretty much.' Harry shrugged. 'I have several millennia of learning experience that the likes of Hojo and Hollander are but child's play. That is why I can save your lives and give you back your humanity without years of agonizing research and trial and error. And as a scientist...I am forced to swallow the bitter pill that I must do things beyond my morals to get things done. I called you guys here not to tell you my past but to tell you that it's time for surgery.' said Harry with a grim expression. 'I filed leave to Lazard using forged phone calls and paperwork, so nobody will miss you while I'm fixing you. And Sephiroth...'

'Yes?'

'Your silver hair will be gone and become black again.' Harry told him. 'If Hojo pokes and prods you, he'll find out that you no longer have a single Jenova Cell in your body. He'll flip and the President will no doubt want to know why. You will have to defect from the Company after this.' the three friends were silent.

'I see...then I have no problems with that.' said Sephiroth. 'I'll go to where my family is.'

'Genesis will blow his top though.' said Angeal. 'He likes his friends close.'

'He'll understand because Hojo and the President must NOT find out that I regained my humanity.' Sephiroth scowled. 'I am no longer afraid of falling in love and marrying if I am human once more. I won't let them take this away from me.'

'Then it's decided...operation...humanity.' Harry smiled as with a wave of his arms, Sephiroth and Angeal found themselves in a tank. The two originals fell into slumber quicker than they can protest. Harry used magic, not science as he extracted the Jenova Cells off the originals, and quickly replaced with pure human cells, and healing the two men while the clones perished on the spot...a good chunk of their bodies gone, leaving behind grotesque remains. Harry cringed as he gathered the tainted cells into an organic pod, and let the remains of the clones return to the Planet. Soon, it was over.

'Well? How do you like your new, human selves?' Harry chimed as he watched the two men look at themselves.

'I feel weaker than I should be...but if this is what it takes, so be it.' said Sephiroth...who is now brunette and his green, cat-like eyes became normal blue.

'I feel the same way as well.' said Angeal. 'What exactly are our clones made of?'

'Your cells, sperm cells and the egg cells of Ifalna, Sephiroth's stepmother.' they gasped at this. 'Ifalna's a willing donor...and as a Cetra, she will do what it takes to get rid of Jenova even with outside help as she inherited that duty from her forefathers and ancestors.' Harry explained. 'The clones are truly clones of you as I genetically engineered them so they are you. And the three of you now possess Cetran Heritage and abilities through this operation. You may be able to somehow communicate with the Planet or open up Lifestream Veins, making the area you work on fertile, possible for nature to grow and thrive in. Those are two basic things Cetrans can do but to be sure, it'll be safe to ask Ifalna.' Harry waved his arm and they are now in a living room...startling Vincent who was reading a newspaper.

'What the hell?!'

'Hello to you too Vincent.' Harry drawled wryly at the gobsmacked avatar. 'And we came here to dump Sephiroth on you.' he chuckled. 'He got your hair and is now a half-cetra through the Operation. He cannot go back to the Company as he is now so he'll be living with you permanently.' Vincent glanced at his now-human son and smiled.

'I don't mind.' said Vincent. 'At least my son is where he should be. Home.' Sephiroth's heart fluttered when he said that. He never had a home before...and now he got one and a family came with it.

'We'll deal with the fall-out.' said Angeal. 'Sephiroth should get to know his stepmother and siblings...I believe?'

'Good luck Angeal.' said Sephiroth sympathetically, shaking his long black hair and patted Angeal's shoulder. 'You'll mostly be questioned because Genesis and Zack are in Nibelheim with Cloud.' Angeal cringed at that.

'Erps...'


	7. A Big Heart

A Big Heart

'So we live in an isolated island not far from Wutai Continent down south and its pretty much, uninhabited?' Sephiroth asked Vincent as they came out of the house. 'And its Harry who created this house using his powers?'

'Yes.' said Vincent. 'With a good family planning, your mother and I had five children together so Aerith won't be lonely. They can't leave the house because anyone from Shinra might find them. I'm OK with going in and out because Shinra knows Hojo killed me after twenty-seven years. They'll think I'm just some look-alike and I work as a Mercenary for AVALANCHE.'

'Oh, that terrorist organization we're dealing with recently.' said Sephiroth wryly. 'With you backing them, no wonder they're good!' Vincent laughed.

'Well, the pay is worth it.' said Vincent. 'Elfe pays me big money per job as her 'Mission Planner' and muscle. I can't do that without Harry's information.' Sephiroth gaped at him. 'Yes, he supplies me with information and all about the President's acitivities...and many more.' he said darkly. 'Elfe knows my mole but she's not saying a word to Shears and Fuhito as part of the Deal.'

'So Harry wants the Corporation destroyed but since he's supplying the information, he has to remain with the company is it?'

'Yes.'

'But why? Given his vast powers, he can easily destroy it.' Sephiroth pointed out.

'Well, power leads to fear and fear leads to hatred and downright xenophobia.' Vincent told him. 'Had Harry showed off his full powers, people will fear him and see him as a monster. He didn't want that and all he wanted is a normal life.' he explained. 'Normal life that he was denied for several million years now. Heck, he's older than this Planet itself.' he shook his head. 'He's a guy to be pitied and admired at the same time as he remained sane with strong morals and a sense of honor and justice. And he does what's right. Thankfully.' he sighed. 'And as long as there is good in this world...and as long as he had friends who cares, he stays sane, despite knowing he'll outlive them eventually.' he muttered. 'A cruel existence, yet he is the only person who can shoulder that curse without abusing the privileges that came with it.'

xxx

Nibelheim...

Genesis. Cloud and Zack are blissfully unaware of Sephiroth's defection. They were preparing to leave Nibelheim, when a Helicopter came for them, ridden by Turks.

'1st Classes Rhapsodos and Fair, 3rd Class Strife, have you heard from Sephiroth?' the Turk Tseng asked them. The trio held surprised blinks.

'Er did something happen?' Cloud blinked owlishly as Tseng gave his fellow Turks wry looks that they shared.

'Follow us. We'll discuss more on the chopper.' said Tseng as wordlessly, they followed the Turks and Cloud's fear of heights kicked in, prompting Zack to put eyecovers on his eyes and earplugs to Cloud's surprise.

'Yo, whassat for?' Reno chuckled as he saw Zack do it and found it amusing.

'The way here by helicopter is pure hell because Cloud has an incredible fear of heights as we found out three days ago.' said Zack wryly. 'Things in the chopper will be more peaceful if I do this. Lucky he didn't know Chopper is terminology for 'Helicopter' otherwise he'd have a panic breakdown by now because riding a helicopter means he'll be waaay high up and he ain't happy about it.' cue numerous sweatdrops. Even a CHILD would know what chopper means. Then again, his address is in a rather known _backwater place_...

'And Zack is planning on helping Cloud wean it out in Simulations when we get home.' Genesis snorted. 'Because someday, he'll be piloting these things if we're not around for some reason or other, troublesome kid.' he chuckled fondly while messing up Cloud's hair and Cloud didn't know why he's patted in the head or who did it.

'Oy!'

The Helicopter...

'So what's going on?' Genesis asked Tseng. 'You talk like Sephiroth's out.' Zack was writing in Cloud's arm in high speed so Cloud is also in on the 'conversation' and would be doing so while Cloud is blinded and rendered temporarily deaf by eye cover and ear plugs to stop his fear from acting up.

'...exactly.' said Tseng as the SOLDIERs in their civvies fell silent. 'You guys should know today that Sephiroth of all people cannot file Leave due to his work but Lazard didn't know that so he granted that leave, and when the President needed him, he wasn't there so Lazard and Angeal . The only ones who know that Sephiroth is not allowed leave is Sephiroth himself, the President, Vice-President and us Turks.'

'But don't all employees need leave once in a while to unwind from work?' Zack asked him. 'An employee with no Leave is ridiculous! Even a person with low IQ won't accept it.'

'Sephiroth is a special case why he has no Leave.' Tseng told them and Genesis and Zack knew why. 'A special case due to various duties even we Turks are not privy to. We were given that excuse by Veld, our boss.' he explained. 'When the President got wind that Sephiroth filed for Leave when AVALANCHE attacked, Lazard and Angeal, another who filed Leave, was questioned by him and our boss personally. Angeal didn't know Sephiroth filed Leave after he did, because Angeal wanted to sleep all day and will only come out if AVALANCHE came...and when we found him, he has quite the bedhead and groggy.' he snorted. 'He really doesn't know, so that leaves you three who are also Sephiroth's friends. Since even you guys didn't know, we're at a loss here. We all don't know where he went. And for some odd reason, Hojo is spitting nails.'

'We'll wait this out.' said Cissnei. 'If he went out for a day or two for personal reasons, he'll come back and get chewed out for it but if within a week he's still out...we may have to consider him a defector and thing is, we can't announce that he defected as this will severely affect the morale of SOLDIERs. Afterall, its your admiration of Sephiroth why you're in the company.'

'We'll try phoning him then.' said Genesis as he took out his cell.

'We tried tracking him down by phone but we found his signal in his office and the door has quite the security and we didn't know where he got such security and he's the only one who has it, so we can't open it.' said Tseng. 'So we have no clue.' silence...

Genesis, Zack and Cloud knew who made that system but is sworn to secrecy by Sephiroth who wants his privacy secured and insured.

'OK, we wait a week I guess.' said Cloud. 'It's all we got.'

xxx

Return to the Company...on the Helipad Roof...

'OK, here we go.' Zack removed the eye cover, prompting Cloud to rub his eyes and when the earplugs were taken off...

Cloud heard the roaring sounds behind him and when he turned to look, he went into alternate shades of blue and white from immense fear, and had another breakdown fits that the SOLDIERs had to restrain him and Genesis knock him out by Karate Chop. The Turks behind them went O.O

'Holy shit, you guys aren't kidding!' Reno cackled madly, clutching his sides in fits of laughter. 'I've never seen anyone with such an expression in my entire life! Heeheeheehoohoohoo!'

'Looks like he'll be a handful...' Cissnei sighed, scratching her head.

'Operation Wean-the-Bird coming right up.' Zack sighed as he slung Cloud over his shoulders and Genesis picked up Cloud's bag. 'And there'll be lots of screaming involved so you guys just ignore the VR room when we're in it, OK?'

xxx

Harry's Infirmary...

'Hey Harry, Cloud will...WHAT THE FUCK?!' Genesis yelped as his and Zack's eyes bugged out and jaws dropped...with good reason.

Their doctor friend is...sure, he's wearing a lab coat and his long hair is down as usual, but...why is he wearing a cropped tube top and a maroon mini skirt?! Even stranger, his legs are smooth, and shapely slender, complemented by heeled shoes! He even has make-up on! On his neck is a heart-shaped choker.

And ahem, non-existent breasts and thingy-down-there aside, he actually pulled it off and made it work!

'Oh, welcome back boys!' Harry greeted and his voice also changed. His voice is convincingly a female.

'W-what's...going on?' Zack choked weakly as their doctor friend is in drag.

'Well...I've had some issues recently...so I decided to go native.' Harry giggled, much to further disbelief. 'And its been fun while you guys are out, nobody can take their eyes off me! Teehee!'

"Of course they couldn't and wouldn't." Genesis and Zack thought wryly.

'But hey, what about your voice?' Zack asked him. Harry pointed at his choker accessory.

'Oh this?' he said. 'It's a special Ultravoice that changes the pitch of my voice into its female counterpart so I sound like what I should had I been born female.' Harry beamed. 'Anyway, get in.' he said as the SOLDIERs went in. Inside where its now secure... 'So, I suppose you now heard that Sephiroth wwent MIA?'

'Yeah, we heard from the Turks.' said Genesis. 'How'd you know? You never leave your infirmary unless its closing time.'

'My infirmary isn't that far from Lazard's Office and you know it.' Harry snorted. 'My place might be soundproof inside but outside ain't. I can hear the President explode his diatribe on poor Lazard not far from here you know and Angeal came to me asking why he was Turk-Interrogated. What's he playing at? All employees should have off-days!'

'They said Sephiroth has...special duties.' said Zack. 'That's why he can't take a day off. But he went off somewhere and filed leave after Angeal did. Makes me wonder what it is but knowing ain't worth being in a body bag. The company likes its secrets under tight lock and key. Sephy taught me that when Angeal's out on a job and its my third day in apprenticeship years ago.'

'I see...good for you then.' said Harry. 'I've known that fact since I came to work here at 16. It didn't take me long to learn how things work here. I stay out of what's not my business to stay alive because and avoid Death by Turk. I'm here to work for money and that's it. I take it you found your mother.' Harry stated as Genesis nodded as he and Zack sat down. 'What's she like?'

'Cloud and I...are half-brothers.' Harry's eyes widened at this. 'I found my mom thanks to Mr. Schvaltz who remarked that I resemble Cloud a lot...and he told me the story that greatly matched to what we found in the files. Through the old man's story, I discovered that Cloud's my half-brother.' said Genesis. 'And as we talked on the way to Nibelheim...Cloud doesn't know he has a big brother under his nose. Our mother and my maternal grandparents washed their hands off me by only acknowledging Cloud's existence when he told us his past that he's an only child. And he wanted siblings actually but whenever he asks, his mother would cry and his father changes the topic before sending him out to play. He looked for a grave in the cemetery due to his own conclusions in his childhood but no grave either. They deliberately hid the fact that...I'm alive and they wanted nothing to do with me because I'm the son of a rapist who happens to be mother's first fiancee.' he said bitterly. 'Cloud doesn't know that but the fact that while Cloud wishes that he has siblings and our family didn't want me nor acknowledged me by deliberately not telling him about me...even though I'm innocent...surely you can imagine how I felt once Zack and I are in our private rooms...' he choked into tears. 'Mr. Schvaltz figured me out surely our family did too and they're younger than the dude...its only Cloud who doesn't know.'

'I see...then are you telling Cloud?' Harry asked him. 'That you're his older half-brother?'

'I don't want him to hate me too because of what my father did to our mother.' Genesis griped. 'Y'know, sins of the fathers and all...I'll just be happy that I can look after him as his superior and friend. I can protect him and maybe...well...' he stammered weakly and rather reluctantly.

'You give Cloud too little credit.' Zack tut-tutted. 'I've known him for three years. He's not as narrow-minded as the adults. Try it out Gen. Be a good big brother to our little chocobo here. You're not at fault and you're innocent and Cloudy wants siblings out of a lonely childhood remember? You can both be happy after you told him!'

'Easier said than done puppy!' Genesis sighed aloud while tears still flowed down his cheeks. 'This...this is all I can do. I don't want him to hate me too! Even Cloud's kindness has its limits! I don't want to ruin what we have now...we became close friends and my true nature as well as my father's nature will ruin that! I don't want to lose him too!' he cried despairingly. 'Mother and the grandparents washed their hands off me the day I was born, h-he might...'

'Er Genesis...' Harry croaked out.

'What now?!' Genesis griped.

'Look.' Genesis looked up to see Harry pointing at the beds to see Cloud staring at Genesis in disbelief. Genesis gasped and paled. Cloud was awake?!

'C-Cloud...' Genesis croaked out as he feared the worst that he didn't notice that he was shaking. Shaking in fear that his younger brother will hate him too that he was near hyperventilating. 'W-when were you awake?' Cloud got off the bed and walked towards him.

'I woke up when you guys yelled 'what the fuck'.' said Cloud wryly in a soft, gentle voice. 'When I looked, there's a good reason why. Professor Potter sure looks pretty even without boobs.' he chuckled as he cast a wry look at Harry who looked sheepish. 'And being Zack's pupil taught me how to be sneaky and stealthy...and a good actor because in times we get into comical trouble, we worm our way out by being cute or other things.' Zack did a double-take at that. 'And when Professor Harry asked you about your mother, I got curious and worried due to how he sounded...until I learned that we're actually half-brothers...and your fears that I'll hate you. But you know...' he said as he hugged Genesis with the man's head on his chest. 'You're an idiot.'

'I've been telling him that.' Zack smiled as he watched his student embrace Genesis. 'I believed in your big good heart that I liked so much but he fears otherwise.'

'I could never hate you.' Cloud told Genesis reassuringly. 'I've known you for three years as my savior from bullying and sexual harassment attempts and soon friend. I knew who you are as a person and as a man, not Genesis Rhapsodos the Celebrity. You've been kind and good to me and you guys were the first friends I ever had. Why should I hate you for things you didn't do? Why are you afraid that the truth will ruin what we have? I care for you guys a lot...all of you were like the big brothers I wish I had and all along I really do have one.' he choked out. 'For how long did you know?'

'Not long ago...when we went to holiday to Nibelheim in fact.' Genesis said bitterly. 'In files I dug up, I learned I was abandoned in an orphanage by an Alexandra Cuthbert in Nibelheim, a child born out of rape when her fiancee raped her brutally when drunk. Then I was adopted into the Rhapsodos Family. When you wanted a trip home, I took the chance to tag along to see what kind of woman my mother is...and you know the rest. I didn't want you to know...'

'And again, you're an idiot.' Cloud smiled while shaking because he was crying too. 'I got my heart and mind from my dad. I got his open, broad mind. I'll never hate you for something others related to you did. That's just stupid...big brother.'

'Well, we got a good happy ending, how about we go out and celebrate?' Harry chirped. 'Let's celebrate our happy family reunion shall we?'

'Yeah, let's go to Karaoke!' Zack grinned.

'Can I at least clean my face up first before you nitwits drag me out?!' Genesis yelped as Zack and Cloud were ready to drag him out. 'I'm a mess here and I have a reputation to keep!'

xxx

Turk Headquarters...

'Yep, they really didn't know anything.' said Reno as they were eavesdropping and heard all that. Reno planted a bug on Cloud back in the Helicopter when Genesis wasn't looking and Zack has his hands tied with Cloud and his fear of heights. 'But its surprising to know that the big four are confiding in our pretty doctor to the point that he's privy to their private information and they all trust him lots. But apparently Sephiroth didn't tell him he went out so its moot asking him.'

'But still, we should ask him.' said Veld. 'After all, he knows how this company works. We should drop by for a visit tomorrow as apparently...they'll be out.' he sighed. 'What of the bug?'

'Still on Strife's person.' said Tseng as he was monitoring the movements of the bug. 'But sooner or later, the other three will find this out so let's milk this for all its worth...ah crap.' the signal died. 'I don't know who removed it but they did while going down the elevator.'

'Open all CCTV channels.' Veld ordered. 'And I want a team shadowing those four. What of the shadow by Angeal's apartment?'

/The guy is still snoozing...and on the verge of falling off his bed and in for a painful headbutt on concrete./ said a man's voice. /Dang, this guy moves a lot...and ouch. He's pissed./ came the chuckle. /And back on bed two seconds later, muttering profanity by what I see by lip-reading./

xxx

'So here's a buggy.' said Zack as he found a bug hidden in Cloud's belt, and crushed it in his fingers. Cloud and Genesis gasped at this and looked at Zack's thumb and pointing finger where there's the remains of a small transmitter.

'A bug...of course, the Turks.' Genesis scowled. 'They think they can fish out more in our privacy.'

'Lucky we talked about your family and not about Sephiroth...that was close!' Harry shuddered at the mere thought of being found out so soon.


	8. Prelude

Prelude

'Genesis, I heard the good news from Zack.' said Angeal, patting Genesis' shoulder. 'Congratulations.' he said with a beaming smile. 'So how are you hitting it off with Cloud?'

'I'm just glad he didn't reject me. He accepted it and told me I'm an idiot if I blamed myself for what my father did.' Genesis smiled in relief. 'Since we were like older brothers to him and I'm one for real even if I'm half, he's more than happy to have me. Right now, Zack's er...taking care of his Acrophobia right now in the VR with Harry's help.' he shuddered. 'Cloud's been freaking out. The mere sound of a Helicopter makes him nuts. Then again, he grew up in the most backwater town...' he sighed. 'As much as I want to be there, Lazard is having me finish Sephiroth's paperwork that's been set for me by the Turks. Veld's taking care of his special case ones.'

'Come to think of it, my job as a Military Instructor doubled too.' Angeal mused thoughtfully. 'Not only do I have to teach Physical Training for Recruits, I have to teach Swordsmanship Class and Firearms Class too. I almost have no breaks.'

'Looks like our workload is gonna increase until Seph gets back wherever heck he went.' Genesis griped. 'I am sooo going to chew him out! My desk is bad enough as it is and he doubles it!'

'You're telling me, I think all the time I have left is to eat and sleep.' Angeal said. 'I won't be seeing you guys much.'

'Yeah, me too. Zack has his hands full with Mr. Acrophobic so Lazard cut him some slack.' Genesis chuckled. 'Lucky him. C'mon, we got shit to deal with.' they parted ways...inwardly grinning.

A good acting job well done.

xxx

'Good gawd, that was just stressful.' Harry sighed as he went to strip in the locker rooms. 'Maybe all Nibelheimers are Acrophobic...if I get an age line, he is so hearing from me!'

'Professor Potter.' from the shadows, out came Tseng.

'Oh, hello there.' Harry greeted joviantly while pulling down his stockings, then his skirt. 'I never get a Turky Guest so you're the first one.' then he took off his lab coat and tube top, leaving only... silk panties. Tseng raised an eyebrow at that.

'We know you found that bug we put on Strife, so you know what I'm about to ask you.' said Tseng. 'Those guys seem to confide in you. Whatever you know will help us out. Its been a week and Sephiroth never returned.'

'This'll take a while hunny, so sit down. I won't kiss you or anything as much as I'm tempted to, pretty boy.' Harry purred flirtatiously, causing Tseng to gulp. Its a famous fact that the Scientist Prodigy and Nanotechnology Specialist is gay but he had gone _native_...making him more...psychologically dangerous for men. The defenseless young man is slender with no hint of muscle whatsoever...but oddly enough, he has a slightly shapely rear and legs, and he is smooth with porcelain fair skin to match his beauty and rosy lips.

'Yes, I admit that the boys confide in me.' said Harry as he has to 'be honest' by showing the right body language as he will be saying half-truths and lies. 'They tell me what bothers and stresses them, and I give them sound advice with a great promise of confidentiality.' he said. 'The reason why they trust me so is because they can FEEL I can be trusted. And I really am a trustworthy person among the cesspool of greed, corruption, avarice and amorals in this company and you know what I mean, especially as you're a Turk and you guys deal with more shit than the local guys in the military.' he said firmly. 'To Sephiroth, I was a breath of fresh air and he vouched for me to Genesis and Angeal. So I became their personal doctor and counselor...and Sephiroth and Zack were my frequent guests. Sephiroth due to his numerous grievances about ten feet long if I wrote it down on paper, and Zack works for me as a part-time volunteer for my latest updates in my software. I pay him too of course. As for the former, he rants and raves about his frustrations in life and as a counselor, its my job to listen...and give advice. But as he rants, he sugarcoats his grievances and I knew by then that the sugarcoating is to conceal the need-not-to-knows safe enough for me to know not to warrant Death by Turk and I know by then that he cares.'

'When was the last time you saw Sephiroth?' Tseng asked him. 'And what are his grievances?'

'Mostly involving a certain greaseball amoral bastard everyone in the military hates.' Harry smirked. 'Until I took over as doctor for SOLDIER, Hojo had the post...and everyone despised him as friends go mysteriously missing when they had an appointment and they all suspect him. Who disappears in a doctor's appointment, right? Everyone hated him and wanted to riddle him full of holes for the disappearances of brothers or friends but the President protects him so he's number two on everyone's hate list for protecting the man who had his sick fun with the brothers and friends he took. Back when I worked in the labs as an 18 year old, I saw him take some Peacekeepers, Recruits and SOLDIERs into his lab...and they never come out. Sephiroth is the only one who leaves yet he looked like he went through the best-nastiest drugs the Black Market could offer. Time passes by he was immune but angry. I just stayed quiet because its death by Turk if I peeked and at the time death by Masamune if I asked because a pissed-off Sephiroth fresh from Hojo's lab is a bomb waiting to go off. Hojo has that much power as long as he has the President's backing thus that hatred festered more. Sephiroth was angry about many things Hojo-related and expressed his only selfish wish to kill him. But as long as he's company property he can't do shit. I have no idea what he meant by that nor do I wish to know as I don't want Death by Turk.'

'For many years since I became SOLDIER doctor, he's my most frequent guest. And the last I saw him...was a week before he disappeared under the guise of Leave.' Harry told Tseng. 'Maybe he decided enough is enough and to hell with it all. I'm the only one who knows of his inner turmoils. Not even his friends know.'

'Then...can you write those grievances down for us?' Tseng asked him.

'I would...depending on who sees that ten-feet-long paper.'

'Us Turks...and the President of course.' said Tseng.

'They say that if a reed is bent too far, it'll snap. And our dear Sephy just did.' said Harry with a chuckle as he stood up. 'I'll take that much-needed bath first...so I'll see you later outside my office in 40 minutes if you want that paper but I DO have conditions...that I'll tell you later.' he bade Tseng goodbye and went for one of the cubicles to get a shower. Tseng got off his seat and left with what he got.

xxx

'So that's what he said?' Veld asked Tseng over the phone.

'Yes.' said his subordinate. 'As a counselor to those boys, he knew Sephiroth's bound to snap. And snap he did. He might show up eventually for revenge or something and nobody's going to like this.'

'The President won't like this either...and because he's also on Sephiroth's shit list if its true.' Veld pinched his nose hard. 'This means Sephiroth intends on defecting from the company and we'll know why as soon as we get that paper.'

xxx

Harry's Infirmary...

Tseng had never been before here. Harry's infirmary sported beautiful interior designing. His patients probably felt like kings and queens. There's two maroon, cushy soft-looking couches and armchairs surrounding a glass table that has four black lacquered legs, and an indoor plant on a white vase. Below all that is a white carpet with a colorful star pattern. The floor is of course, marble-white. The area is in a small room with glass for walls and its clearly a one-way glass. In the small room is also a Coffee and Hot Chocolate Machine, complete with a small table for cups. Then outside this room is a hallway that this time, has white walls leading to two more rooms. The 'Ward' and Harry's Office that they entered. And said Office has A LOT of computers that shouldn't be in an office, and a machine with a helmet was near a reclining chair Dentists normally use. That aside, there's three drawers containing files no doubt, and a desk. Of course, this room also has its own coffee and chocolate machine.

'Your office...is striking.' Tseng croaked out as he looked around. 'Are these supposed to be in the Infirmary?'

'Well, I like to be unique darling.' Harry chuckled as he set up his printer and put in a roll of white paper, before sitting down before his computer and opened up the Document Program. 'You forget that I'm an authority of Nanotechnology and the creator of 'The World' before I became a Doctor. Right now, I will state my conditions.' he said. '1. I'm just doing my job so don't hold it against me. 2. Nobody takes it out on me or those boys. Number 1 applies and those boys don't know Sephiroth is seeing me for his issues. 3. Only parties involved are allowed to know. 4. This is Private. If the President wasn't involved, I wouldn't be breaching rules as a part-time Counselor here and I'm forced to break the sacred Confidentiality rule.' he sighed. 5. No attacking and killing no matter who says so. If some idiot dares to attack me, I WILL fight back and if possible, I WILL kill out of self-defense. Comprende?'

'Crystal.' said Tseng wryly as Harry cracked his fingers...before typing in very fast speeds and he's not even looking at the keyboard as he typed away. It was like hearing babyfied sounds of a machine gun fired as he subtly videotaped using his PHS. He memorized where the keys are and his eyes were on his monitor. "Dang...he's too good on the Keys...not even I can do that. As expected of the Child Prodigy..." soon in ten minutes, he was printing what they needed to know.

'Alright, here it is.' Tseng looked at the long length of white paper on the floor.

'You're not kidding...it's really ten feet long.' he said in a deadpan voice.

'And that's just a summarized version. I'm not the kind who writes in verbatim, that'll take me forever and I DO have a life.' said Harry wryly as Tseng rolled up the paper.

'Hmm...by the way...'

'What?'

'Can I see the rest of your Infirmary?' Harry laughed at that in amusement.

xxx

The Turks STARED at the paper Tseng unrolled before them.

'Oy oy...' Rod sweatdropped.

'This long?' Shotgun choked out.

'And he says this is just a summarized, direct-to-the-point version.' said Tseng wryly. 'Had he written down seven years' worth of temper tantrums, he'll take forever.' at the bottom of the paper were Harry's conditions.

'Hey, what's that guy like...that Prof?' Nunchaku asked him. 'We know very little of him.'

'Judging by what his Infirmary looks like...he really does care for his patients.' said Tseng. 'Beautiful interior decorating, comfortable furniture and beds, and a fully-stocked Pharmacy as well as a fully-equipped Surgery Room and things related to medical nano-tech. He even has magazine racks and a bookshelf containing books men of various ages would be interested in. His office however, looks like a room of Supercomputers and Zack Fair usually sits on the reclining chair when he is hired to test on The World's latest developments and even gets paid for it. And since Zack has his hands full with our local Acrophobic, he has no volunteers...and asked for a willing player in the Turks. Who's vacant that is.'

'That would be a good opportunity to keep an eye on him.' said Veld. 'Who'll go?'

A LOT of people raised hands, to his annoyance. 'Only one please!'

'Ladies, no offense, but stay out of this.' said Reno. 'The guy is gay, not straight, and he'll appreciate strapping lads like meself, so he's more prone to talking if us handsome hunks are around.' he said smugly while strutting around.

'If he really IS gay, he'll get along with US better because we can trade fashion and make-up tips!' said Knife in an annoyed tone and arguments ensured. Tseng gave their boss a wry look.

'We're in for a long day, aren't we?'

'So it seems.' Veld sighed. 'Despite our jobs, I sometimes think this is a huge daycare center, not a place for hardened professionals like us.' he said sarcastically, causing Tseng to stare at him wryly. 'Then again, crazy things like this keep them sane.'

'I agree. Makes me wonder if we weren't like this, we'd be crazy ourselves by now.'

In the end, after an argument, one of the girls went. Cissnei.

She's heading for the SOLDIER Infirmary, dressed as a nurse in a baby pink uniform, hat and red heels. "This is it..." she thought as she rang the doorbell...the tone this time, is Cloud's panicked screams of terror, startling the daylights out of her. "I hear he changes his doorbell monthly, but this is ridiculous!"

/Yes?/

'This is Cissnei of the Turks.' said Cissnei. 'I'm the available volunteer.' the door slid open and indeed, nice place inside. She headed for the Office and knocked. There...its...whoa. 'I think I'll enjoy working here...' she chuckled as she went inside. There is her temporary boss, Harry Potter...in his...er...finery. Good gravy!

'Yo.' said Harry. 'So Cissnei is it?' he said as his...volunteer came in, dressed like a nurse. 'I'd prefer it if your shoes have straps. If you get into a fight and you jumped or kicked, having a shoe fly or fall off would be awkward, wouldn't it?' he chuckled. Cissnei looked at her feet and stared.

'W-well of course I'll change shoes on jobs!' Cissnei pouted. 'Right now I'm laid off to fill in Zack's spot!'

'That, and keep an eye on me, correct?' Harry smirked as Cissnei cringed. Found so soon! 'Its what I'd expect of the President. Because I'm the one Sephiroth confided in before he went vamoose. Right now, he's probably living in fear...with the proverbial Masamune hanging over his head because he's on Sephy's shit list. Sephy is the strongest man on this Planet right now...and he snapped...'

'You think he'll really do that?' Cissnei asked him with a frown.

'He will. And he'll be bringing Chaos in his wake and someday, lay this tower to rubble. I know the eyes of a person wishing vengeance.' Harry told her. 'And right now, the President has no right to say that Sephiroth is an ingrate. If any, the company OWES Sephiroth. Who was it that gave power to Shinra? Sephiroth. Who was it that built Shinra's SOLDIER Elite Corps and soon formation of the Military by enticing gullible men around the globe who has dreams of grandeur? Sephiroth. Without Sephiroth, Shinra will just be an ordinary Electric Power Company anyone hardly will care about unless its to pay electric bills and that's a sad reality. Shinra OWES him, not the other way around.'

Harry meant that literally, considering what Vincent has.

xxx

January 0002

Valentine Residence...its been six months since Sephiroth defected from the Company. He now sported a paler skin color, short black hair spiked up with fringes framing his face parted from the left. He now wore a form-fitting fishnet shirt, a purple vest-jacket, black gloves and combat pants and boots. His skin is porcelain white, courtesy of alien beauty products.

He lived with his family for the first time in his life as a normal man...he also got to know his younger siblings. Aerith who is currently 18 years old...and working with their father as an AVALANCHE member long before he came! She specializes in using a BAR. But if disarmed, she is also very proficient in using martial arts and kicks with knife blades hidden in her shoes. His younger siblings born between his father and stepmother were two boys and one girl in that order. Stefan is two years younger than Aerith, Charden is a year younger and his baby sister Cecille is two years younger. Stefan uses an Assault Rifle, Charden uses Sub-machine guns, and Cecille is just starting her firearms training, looking for a gun she'd be comfortable in. Apparently, he's the only one using a sword and to further conceal his identity, he too, is working on finding a Firearm he'll be comfortable with because he too, will be joining AVALANCHE.

And in the isolated island they were in, they also have neighbors...the Rui sisters Harry saved from the Company because the younger sister Shelke is practically a Biohacker. Any network, she can 'hack'. But due to dangers, her combat capabilities are trained first, before her power. Shalua who is about the same age as Cloud learned Wutainese Martial Arts and the use of katars, and Shelke favors using two daggers. The only untrained person on the island, was Ifalna because she's too old to be trained. He and Vincent shared training jobs on the teenagers while Aerith has long since 'graduated' and helping her little sister get a firearm.

Right now, he goes by the alias Zephyr Valentine, Vincent's eldest son and mole in the company until he had to go vamoose, but he didn't come empty handed. He brought a lot of information about the company. From floor plan to security, military weaponry and equipment and who has what, guard shifts, who are notable employees, the like.

But what AVALANCHE did NOT expect...was this.

Shinra's Dark Secret known as Deepground. Elfe had gone spare, and had chosen to lay low...if only to tell her men and supporters to train hard and be at their best form whether it be body, combat skills, weaponry, etc. Because to take down Shinra, they all have to be good enough to take down Deepground once they took care of the 'front forces' of the company. The real battle would begin if Shinra mobilized these guys. That's why...they laid down low for training, and gathering enough firepower to do so.

Although Sephiroth, with Harry's help, occasionally disguises himself in his previous appearance, and is doing a hit-and-run operations on all Shinra Scientists, crucifying them in a rather brutal fashion.


End file.
